From Starkbucks To Russia With Love
by Stargazer831
Summary: After The Avengers before Iron Man III. Bruce has agreed to work and live at Stark Tower. Darcy Lewis now works there as well, where she meets a stranger in line for coffee. The journey between coffee and rescuing your best friend's Asgardian boyfriend. A fine line between love, friendship, and lines crossed when those you care about are in trouble.
1. Russia

**Hi and welcome to my Darcy/Bruce fan fiction. I know, I still have to finish my OUAT fics, and that is my summer goal, but I wanted to write these characters, so Starkbucks story was born, which brings me to a Disclaimer:**

**I do not own Marvel, Avengers, Thor, Iron Man 1/2/3, Hulk, Garden State, Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist, Jurassic Park or any other movie I reference. I do not own Starkbucks that play on words has been around since Iron Man 1 and probably before that.**

**I do not know anything about science, so please do not believe anything I say about the Hadron Collider, I just needed something big to be a door, more will be explained about it later on. As Joss Whedon would say "sciencey sciencey science"**

**This Bruce Banner is referenced off Mark Ruffalo's version in Avengers, but I allude back to Incredible Hulk as well.**

**I wrote this backwards, this was the first scene I wrote but it's actually one of the last scenes, so you know how in Castle or NCIS they show the last ten minutes first and then go back to the beginning? That is this... if y'all don't like it that way please let me know and I will repost it differently.**

**As always feedback welcomed and appreciated; thank you for trying my Darcy/Bruce drabble.**

* * *

The Hadron Collider had worked. The European scientists had it backwards, once S.H.I.E.L.D. had access to the experiment with the help of Dr. Erik Selvig, and with the formula Dr. Jane Foster created the team was able to reverse the polarity of the machine; instead of creating a black hole, they were able to open a portal; a doorway into another world, another universe. No one came, no aliens, no Asgardians, no one. Nothing happened at first, but several nights after the team tried to open the door for the firth time; the patterns of lightning and storms in the north eastern part of Russia were equal that of when Thor first arrived on Earth. The media said it was a meteor that crashed into the rural tundra, but the team knew better. Jane knew those weren't their stars in the sky; and so they found themselves on a small plane going to the crash site.

The high speed, high tech jet sped towards a remote area of Russia. Jane, beaming like a little six year old with a new toy, stared forward in anticipation. Darcy, gripping the seat with less patients than Jane had, distracted herself with her usual go-to, music; the ear buds blaring music loudly. Cat-a-corner to them was Dr. Selvig sitting next to Dr. Bruce Banner. The two males immersed in a talk about a scientific theory on particle physics. Bruce had volunteered to come. He would never admit it out loud, but his reason was sitting across from him; consumed in her own conversation with Jane.

Darcy Lewis, the spirited twenty-something year old, recent college graduate with a degree in political science was now Dr. Jane Foster's full time assistant After the New York City attack Tony Stark hired on , along with Jane because of their close proximity to Thor, and Darcy was a clause; Jane must have Darcy working for her. Partly because no one else could color code Jane's insane notes like she could, and partly because there was no one else Jane felt she could trust after New Mexico.

"Jane you totally need to hear this new Shin song, it will change your life" Darcy said taking the ear buds out her ears and rolling them into the pocket of her jeans.

Jane gave her a doubtful look.

Darcy shook her hands wildly at her friend. "Ok, not more so than possibly having your Asgard God-of-thunder boyfriend's return, but still an amazing song! It's on my other IPod" She unhooked her seat belt and began to rummage through a bag at the top of the overhead bend.

"You have more than one IPod?" Jane asked her.

"Well after Agent Coulson stole my last one, I did what you did and backed my music up, and besides aren't you the person that backs up her back up now in Latin?" She arched an eyebrow. Jane had become over paranoid and had multiple backups to her backups, but Darcy couldn't blame the girl after S.H.I.E.L.D. took everything; and eventually gave most of it back but the damage was already done.

Jane concurred "I actually got the idea from Natasha"

"Clever scientist" Darcy whipped out one of her favorite Jurassic Park lines she modified for different occasions.

From the front of the cockpit the sultry red head beaconed out an order. "Hang on, we got company" Natasha called out as three red dots appeared on the radar screen.

Darcy grabbed her backpack out the overhead bin just as the small plane lurched upward knocking her backwards. Getting to her feet she managed to slip the backpack over her shoulder before falling backwards again as the plane lurched forward and then nose dived. She could hear the Widow screaming to brace themselves but it wasn't easy to move. Darcy's head hit the side of the wall of cabinets hard as the plane jolted to the right and then the left again.

Natasha, try as she might could not shake the other planes pin pointed on their small craft. Someone was after them. HYDRA, AIM, or Kaprov the widow figured. She sent out a distress signal to the other agents in the area.

Jane watched her friend fall a second time. She was about to unbuckle when a soft touch pushed her back against her seat.

"Stay" Bruce said calmly. He made his way to the back of the small plane, grabbing a hold of the sides to steady himself. Breathing in deeply he counted "4...3...2...1" feeling the monster wanting to come out amongst the chaos.

"We're going to have to land, hold on!" Natasha could be heard at the front of the plane.

Bruce caught Darcy, holding her up; he tried to position himself against the wall to prevent her from further harm.

Something ricocheted off the side of the plane; a rushing gust of wind could be heard as a hole grew larger and larger. The hole started to suck air from the plane.

The emergency lights flickered. Cabin pressure had been lost.

"DARCY" Jane yelled as she watched her friends get sucked towards the growing hole.

His fingers slipped as he tried to hold onto the side of the plane and Darcy at the same time. Bruce tries, and the anger grows, screaming inside of him to let go, and so with hope he lets himself slip into the darkness.

_DARCY HURT FRIENDS HURT BAD PLANE SMASH_

With one arm securing Darcy to his shoulder Hulk leaped onto the plane to the right of them that had just made a giant hole in the side of their plane. The pilot ejected as the Hulk rammed his hand hard into the center of the plane. Smoke started to billow from the engine compartment. He pulled a piece of the sheet metal off and hurtled it towards the plane on the left side. As the plane Hulk is standing on starts to plummet to the ground he curls himself into a protective ball around Darcy.

The tip of his nose touched the top of her head and he breathed in her sweet smell and remembered how she had calmed him down that first time at the park, and several times since then. He had saved New York City and her from a kidnapper, and another time from a pyromaniac. In turn she treated him with adoration and appreciation, never like the monstrosity he was. Where Bruce had conflicting feelings the Other Guy's mind was made up. He fell to Earth protecting his love.

He kept his big brown green eyes open as he fell he watched the world around him explode into a small firefight between two sides as more planes appeared. People had noticed what crashed into the ground, and they were trapped in the middle. The small blackbird carrying Jane, Erik, and Natasha made bumpy landing over what appeared to be a frozen lake. The Hulk was angry, someone was out to purposely hurt his allies, and they were going to pay.

He hit the ground hard. The impact left a small crater in the soft surface. Cold and frost bit at the green Avenger. Hulk made sure Darcy was against his shoulder and then started to make his way over the iced field to a small cave.

The Hulk set Darcy down gently on the ground, her backpack slipping of her back, rested next to her. He lightly poked her shoulder, perturbed she was not waking up; he let out a loud growl. Hulk turned towards the entrance of the cave hearing gun fire from outside. He took the few steps to the beginning of the cave and stood watching the wind, and snow, his nostrils flared smelling things that should not be there, danger.

* * *

Darcy awoke with a sneeze as the cold air tickled her nose. She opened her eyes looking around the cave. She wishes now she would have paid more attention in Agent Hill's survival 101 prep classes she took as part of her Shield training. Darcy felt her forehead and pulled her hand back. Yep, that was drying blood on the side of her head, accompanied by a massive headache. She ached all over.

Hill would tell her _Agent Lewis, access the situation_ so she looked around trying to figure out what was going on. She was on a routine mission to the middle-of-nowhere to find Thor with Bruce, Erik, Jane, and Natasha. Something exploded, and now she was in a cave with the Hulk. His massive form filling up lost of the entrance of the small cave.

Her hand touched something cloth like on the ground, she looked down thankful that her backpack had somehow made the trip with her. She got up slowly and made the few steps to where he was.

"Hey Big Guy, you ok?" Darcy asked making her way around the back of his large form to inspect the area. He grunted and kept staring out the cave entrance. She noticed a large gash in his right hand. Darcy rummaged through her bag until she found a purple handkerchief.

He pulled his hand away as she tried to touch it. The metal had cut it when he was smashing the air plane apart. Darcy insisted he opened his palm anyway, giving him a demanding look. When that didn't work she puckered her lips up and tried to ask him nicely with a yearning look "please?" He hesitated but slowly his hand came towards her.

She wrapped it around Hulk's hand and tied a knot; making sure the knot was tight enough to withstand Hulk smashing. "There, all better" which was in fact mostly true since his indestructible abilities made him heal quickly but the jester had been made with care. He turned his palm admiring her bandaging

Darcy could barely see past the snow falling but she knew he could smell and sense things she could not. "Geesh, it's freezing, remind me next time to put in time for Hawaii. How bout' a little sun and sand huh." Darcy said voicing her disapproval of the cold situation as she stands against the side of Bruce's alter ego. His large form keeps her warmer than the leggings, jeans, and sweater she has on. Just her luck the S.H.I.E.L.D. issued coat with the protective bulletproof layer and the homing beacon was left on the plane. He stays quiet but she can tell from his snort he's still very angry at the object or enemy out there after them.

"Big Guy, what happened to the others?" Darcy hated to think about it but she had to know "did they crash?"

Hulk, a doleful expression on his face, told her the truth "TOOK OUT TWO PLANES, SPIDER MADE HARD LANDING"

Another explosion was heard, this time much closer. The two looked at each other.

"JANE" Darcy started to step outside and was stopped by a big green purple handkerchief hand.

She did not worry much about the Black Widow amongst the gunfire but the others were toast. "You have to go stop whatever that is, Jane and Erik are still out there" Darcy said.

Hulk huffed blowing icy breath out his nose. "STAY HERE AND PROTECT YOU!"

Darcy stomped behind him. Typical she thought that he would turn all knight in shining armor with his determined ways when she needed him the most. She never thought her hero would be big and green; she was always more of the drummer tattooed type but here he was.

He started to feel something behind him as she started to try and push him out the cave.

He was just as stubborn as his counter part she thought as Darcy tried to get him out. _Didn't he understand that she would be ok?_ "I've got my trusty taser, I'll be fine. When we get out of this, you and me in Central Park, PopTarts and Starkbucks, my treat. But first you have to save them please, Bruce!" She had never used _his_ name before.

"CAN'T GUARANTEE SAFE IF ALONE" Hulk looked down at her conflict in his tone.

Tears formed in Darcy's eyes. She knew what she had to do. She cared about him, but if he stayed here and did not help the others it would be her fault. Slowly she reached into her bag and pulled out her taser. Making her way to his side again she grabbed his arm holding him tight. She held onto him, radiating heat streaming through her body, and then she let go.

"I'm sorry, but you have to get out there, GO NOW" she screamed the last part as she stuck the taser into his side.

The electricity ran from his right side to his left and though it was not enough to hurt him out it did make him very angry. His left fist met the wall. She does not want you here; get out GET OUT, OUT.

Darcy took several steps back as Hulk started to take his rage out on the side of the wall. Dust and debris flew up and she shut her eyes; when she opened them, he was gone. She sat against the hard rocky wall gripping tight to her backpack.

"I love you" she says to no one, the words getting lost on the bitter wind. She made sure her taser had a charge and waited for S.H.I.E.L.D. or the enemy to take her away, at least Jane would be safe, with Bruce going after them; she'd be safe. Darcy closed her eyes and thought back to the day she met him at Starkbucks.


	2. Science Bros

**A/N: I love science bros, so there will be lots of Bruce/Tony team ups in this story, enjoy…**

SCIENCE BROS

The beginning...

The two Gods returned to Asgard taking the tesseract cube with them; the Avengers shook hands and started to go their separate ways.

Tony and Bruce pull up to Stark Tower in the R8 Audi, Happy is waiting for him to take the car. Above them construction is already taking place to fix some of the floors that the fight with Loki had destroyed.

Bruce stares up at the tower and then to Tony. "Don't suppose I can get a ride to the bus station?"

"Bailing so soon Doctor?" Tony asks handing Happy the keys and approaching Bruce.

Bruce looks back up at the tower and then down the street where building after building is destroyed. "I think it's for the best. I've already caused enough destruction here for a life time"

A smirk crosses the playboy's face as a thought occurs to him. Tony laughs thinking about all the trouble he himself has already caused. "What about for two lifetimes? I am doing some remodeling and thought about making a Hulk proof floor. I'll need someone to test that theory." He points to Bruce "that's you."

Bruce scratched the back of his peppered hair, thinking about it. "I'm not so sure"

"Someone once famous once said 'when I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child," he paused a moment rubbing his goatee "and reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up my childish ways"

Bruce gave a small sigh. "Yeah I read that book too, what is your point?"

Tony stepped closer to Bruce and leaned against the car. "I have been acting like a child, I've been selfish up to this point, but this" he waves his hand at Stark tower "is the start of something new. Different for me, sharing, because I never learned lessons I should have, it was just me in a fancy mansion with the nanny... Till I was 14"

"Can we skip to the end?" Bruce wasn't cut out for the listening element he would have to endure with Tony. He didn't have the patience one needed to be that kind of doctor.

"Fine. I was impressed with you, it doesn't happen often, don't get an ego. I'm assembling a team of scientists to work here in the tower, in association in part with S.H.I.E.L.D. Live here, work here, your own Hulk proof floor, the finest in science technology" Tony sticks his right hand out to Bruce "so what do you say, science bros?"

Bruce reluctantly places his right hand in Tony's grip and shakes. "On a trial bases, if something happens Stark I can't stay here."

"Yeah, sure." Tony smiles and pats Bruce on the back ignoring his last comment.

Bruce grabs his duffle back and Tony starts to lead him towards the door to the lobby of the Stark Tower.

"You are going to love the tower, upgraded coffee bar and big shiny arc reactor in the basement. I was thinking of changing the tower name to the Avengers tower, but I only own 88%."

* * *

Bruce's suite was equal to an upscale apartment. Fully stocked high tech kitchen with all the bells and whistles. The living room, connected to the kitchen, had a couch, arm chair, and in true over the top Tony fashion a large flat screen TV that took up a whole wall. The bedroom in the suite on the soon to be Hulk proof floor can be equated to a top of the line hotel room. Except it was created by Tony. The room had a very large monitor on the desk connected to a computer station. A flat screen TV hung on another wall above a dresser. A California king bed in the middle completed the room.

Bruce was busy unpacking his duffle bag: five pairs of pants, five shirts, some pairs of underwear and socks, a small toiletries bag, and a journal; the sound of buzz saws and construction can be heard outside. He puts the underwear and socks in the drawer and hangs the rest of the clothes up in the large walk-in closet. He looks around as AC/DC's Black in Black starts to play loudly throughout the room.

Tony knocks on the door and opens it before Bruce can answer, the arc reactor glowing under his black shirt as he walks into the room. "Jarvis said you were unpacking... so what do you think? Maybe this is more your style" he snaps his finger and the Green Giant jingle from the 1950s starts to play. "Kidding" Tony snaps his finger again and the music stops. "But no seriously, high ceilings, these doors... just had them installed... extra large just in case the Other Guy wants to have a party..." Tony sits on the bed and springs up and down like he's testing it. "Extra large bed, so you'll be all nice and cozy. You can fit ten Playboy bunnies, not that I know that's not me anymore. Did I mention I am happy with Pepper?" He gets up quickly and goes over to the computer monitor. He starts to press buttons almost at random.

"Not too shabby" Bruce says pushing the small duffle bag under the bed. At this point he would have taken a seedy motel room. "Beats my cot in Nepal. I really do appreciate this" he looks up to see Tony fiddling with the touch screen monitor.

Tony taps the screen and the video he pulled up becomes a 3-D hologram. The scene is of the last minute of the fight between the Chitauri after the portal was closed, Iron Man is falling to Earth. Hulk jumps, stretching, grabs him and shields him as his body hits the ground, rolling the iron man off of himself as he gets up. Tony taps the screen again and then video goes black. "And I really appreciated that" he says going towards the door "what I said before about being selfish, I never had a brother."

The room grows quiet as Bruce replies "neither did I."

Tony walks to the door and looks at Bruce. "Well now you do" he said straightforward earnestly, and then walked out without saying another word.

Bruce sighed lightly and leaned back against the bed. Brother, not monster or mutation, brother. Could he make it here? Start over? He closed his eyes an inner conflict brewing in himself to stay or leave; he slowly drifted off to sleep.

Director Fury was right in bringing these misfits together. For whatever reason the Avengers had worked well together. What had started on the Helicarrier as a mutual admiration of earth others work and knowledge had grown into something more. So here they were in the Stark tower ready for the next mission, alien invasion, or Asgardian God.


	3. Starkbucks

**A/N: I do not own anything, Marvel does, and I do not own the song either, and did I mention I do not own Starkbucks?**

**I just love thinking of Bruce not knowing much about recent pop culture being out the country a few years, so that's how this came about, it's adorable…**

**As always thank you for reading…**

**Starkbucks**

Sometime in between giving up weapon making and the alien invasion Tony Stark decided to go into the coffee business. He managed to take over a large Seattle based coffee company almost over night. And so, Starkbucks was born. The Starkbucks coffee bar in the lobby of the Stark tower was open twenty-four seven. Tony never slept and neither did the hundred or so scientists, engineers and agents that worked and lived in the tower.

On this Friday morning Darcy Lewis, lab assistant to Dr. Jane Foster was standing in a very long coffee line. She watched the lab geek, killer peppered fluffy hair and white lab coat, totally unaware of everything else around him. He was staring at the board as if it were a science problem. The lab geek was Dr. Bruce Banner. The line behind her was getting agitated but she found it funny no one mentioned anything to him they just let him take his time at the counter. Even the barista waited calmly behind the counter. She had seen him every morning in here for the last four days doing the same thing. He looked at the board for five minutes and then ordered the same earl grey tea. Darcy had enough.

"He'll have a decaf venti dark roast, no cream, no sugar, and I'll have two tall Captain Americas, two creams, two sugars" she spoke up to the barista behind the counter as the man turned and looked at her in aw.

The barista nodded and plucked the 20.00 bill from Darcy's hand as he was still in shock of the girl behind him munching on the Pop Tart.

Darcy pushed her glasses up and smirked "you order tea every day but you look like you could use coffee. You know, you should really try something different, you want to get real adventurous you should some of the Avenger flavors"

"Avengers... flavors?" Bruce perks up a bit.

"Oh yeah all the Avengers have their own specials, Captain America is apple pie mocha, Black Widow is dark roast with two shots of espresso, Hawkeye is hazelnut latte, Iron Man is cinnamon spice half chocolate half vanilla mocha whipped ... leave it to Stark to choose the most complicated drink for himself." She chuckled a bit thinking of Tony coming up with the flavors as the barista handed her the drinks. She handed Bruce the small coffee.

Bruce took it, enchanted by her, he had to know more "and the Hulk?"

"Green chai tea... kind of an ironic twist cause it's calm and relaxing, get it?" A smile growing on her face as she talked about the coffee twist.

Bruce followed her out of the coffee shop in silence sipping on his decaf coffee. This girl had no fear about talking to him, which made him curious. He followed her to the elevator it seemed they were going the same way.

He pressed the button to one of the upper floors and she pressed the level below him. Words did not cross his lips. He had not really talked to very many people during his time here at the tower; let alone women, pretty women, he met in the coffee shop.

Darcy, eyes closed, started to sway back and forth and suddenly spoke "ripped jeans, skin was showin... where you think you goin' baby"

Bruce turned fully towards her unsure if she was coming on to him or just lost her mind. "Excuse me?"

Aware of where she was now she opened her eyes. "Shit, sorry" she pulled the ear buds out her ears and began speaking again "the song is catchy, and I know what you are thinking... you thought I was more of a Indy rock 90s fem fetal, Luscious Jackson, No Doubt kind of girl; which you wouldn't be wrong, but I can rock the Gaga and Perry was well. And I may have even sent an obscene letter to Russell Brant when they broke up but he deserved it."

"I don't know who that is" Bruce scratches the back of his head in a nervous fashion. He was unsure of who this woman was or what she was talking about.

"You scientists really do live under rocks, British comedian, Katy Perry is a pop star, and they were the biggest thing for five minutes since TomKat..." Darcy did not get to finish her thought because at that moment the doors of the elevator opened on her floor.

Bruce stuck his arm out as if he were holding the door open for her. "Thank you for the coffee" he spoke gently as the elevator door began to close again. For a moment his dark soulful eyes met her bright blue ones. His lip curled up in an almost smile.

Darcy turned looking at him she pushed her glasses up again "you're welcome." But it was too late. He was gone. She did not even get his name. "Bummer" she said thinking that many of the science nerds here weren't that attractive nor seemed interesting but Mr. Starkbucks she could get to know a little better.


	4. Mr Jackson

**A/N: I do not own anything, please enjoy…**

* * *

Later that afternoon Darcy was busy highlighting Jane's notes when a $20.00 bill floated down on top the papers. "Hello Mr. Jackson" she said with a smile and then her gaze went up to Tony Stark dressed well tailored suit and smug expression on his face, standing in front of her desk. Her eyes narrowed "it's not my birthday, which means you want something, $20.00 bucks is a little low to be your sex slave. Should I inform Ms. Potts?"

Panic sets in, darn lab assistant hanging Pepper over his head. Thankfully Pepper was in D.C. this week. Tony gives her a quick smile. "That won't be necessary, this is for coffee"

"You do realize you own the coffee shop, right?" She didn't object necessarily for the extra money but was curious.

"Starkbucks took me forever to come up with the name" Tony plucks the twenty dollar bill from her desk and then slaps it down again. "This is for this morning"

Darcy picked up the $20.00 before Tony could take it back. "English please? Some of us have been up all night trying to decode notes"

Jane walked over to Darcy's desk to see what they were talking about. "Hey! I crossed out most of the gibberish!"

"JARVIS pull up the surveillance feed 10:15 - 10:25 AM from the coffee shop on Ms. Darcy Lewis's desktop computer" Tony said tapping on Darcy's touch screen monitor.

"Hey!" Darcy yelled as her desktop changed to video footage of Starkbucks from earlier that morning. She saw the man, peppered hair falling over his glasses, white lab coat, purple shirt, and khaki pants staring blankly up at the coffee board.

"Yeah, so I talked to some good looking lab rat, with nice hair" Darcy is alarmed at this point. "Are you going to fire me? I'm pretty sure it's not against policy to buy someone a cup of coffee"

Tony points to the screen pressing a few buttons he pulls up the back of the coffee shop. "See all these people standing feet away, and your good looking lab rat is several feet in front of them... JARVIS play footage." The video shows Darcy walking up to Bruce "and here you come up talking to him"

"You did something remarkable, you actually talked to Bruce Banner, see all those quivering people behind you, they stay away because they are afraid of him, the Hulk." Tony frowned "Nothing to be afraid of really, he's a kitten...the Doctor I'm referring to the Hulk is more like a giant tiger."

"No shit" Darcy pushed her glasses up and stared at the screen again. "That's Doctor Banner?" She taps the screen on his face leaving little dots that disappear with in a few seconds. "Wait ...wait ...wait you are pulling my chain Stark" Darcy turns to him again not understanding how the amazing scientist slash Hulk does not have an assistant to get things for him.

Tony brought his hands to his chest and gasped "I most certainly am not" he said dramatically.

Jane chimes in "there is a picture of him in the manual. I've actually wanted to meet him to discuss the quantum equation"

"You read the manual?" _Typical _Darcy thought her brownnoser boss actually reading the required material.

"Didn't you?"

"I skimmed" Darcy shrugged slightly as she opens her file drawer and pulls out the S.H.I.E.L.D. regulated Avengers Initiative handbook past the black, blue, and purple sections to the green section. "Volatile... dangerous... hazardous... its like your describing a ticking time bomb, no wonder no one wants to stand behind him in line for coffee"

Tony reminds her, pointing at Darcy with a witty smirk "except for you. S.H.I.E.L.D. only addressed the Hyde side in the paper work. You should have heard what the first report about me said"

Jane took the book from Darcy and flipped to the red section. "Compulsive behavior, self-destructive tendencies, narcissism, egotistical"

"And while I do not deny those things, they leave out the fact that I'm roguishly handsome, smart and a hero to man and woman-kind a like"

"Well the guy I met down there was none of those things in the book, and besides if you thought he was really 'uncontrollable' " Darcy makes quotation signs with her hands. "You would have just bought him an instant coffee maker? Or have an assistant get it for him?"

"First it would not profit off Starkbucks for an instant coffee maker, and second he does not want an assistant"

Darcy arched an eyebrow "so what's the Jackson really for then?"

He tapped on Darcy's screen again and the Starkbucks menu popped up. "Dr. Banner was actually pleasant at the meeting this morning, commented on how ironic it was that I chose green tea for the Hulk"

"Well it was a great choice" she had to agree with the President of Starkbucks. "So why all the hub-bub about personifying everyone out in this book?"

"The Council, bunch of big heads behind the whole thing, wants to keep us separated from the world. Undercover. Underground. Here no evil, see no evil monkey business type thing"

Darcy's expression hardened "that's terrible, you all saved people."

"That's life kid." Tony said nonchalantly looking down to his watch. He wasn't about to fight with 'the man' over something in a book he had too many things on his plate. "Now if you'll excuse me I've got a one O'clock lunch to not attend"

While Darcy and Tony talked about the defaults of the handbook; Jane was busy flipping to the blue section. _Thor_. _Alias Donald Blake, Thor, God of Thunder. Refereed to as Norse god in Viking mythology. Asgardian, son of Odin, brother of the God of Mischief, Loki. _She scrolls to the end and looks down at the part she hated reading the first time. _Location: Unknown._

Jane wrinkled her face. She knew where he was, they all did: Asgard. So, she had to get him back. She went to her desk and pulled out something she had been working on to give to Tony. Walking back over to Darcy's desk she stuck out her paperwork as he started to walk away. "WAIT! Mr. Stark, I have a proposal for you!" She quickly wished Erik was there; he was great at explaining things.

Tony stopped and looked at Jane "Tony, Mr. Stark was my father."

Jane pauses "sorry, Tony... "

"I don't like being handed things." He looked at the paperwork and back to Jane's face. "I'm sure you spent a lot of time on your proposal. What do you want princess?"

"I'd like to commission a section of your roof if possible," she added "preferably the north east end" as it was best for stargazing.

"This is about your work right? The Rosen colored bridge to find Shakespeare in the Park?" Tony posed a moment in thought. Thor had helped them greatly, and while it was his brother that had brought the destruction he had done his best to in the end to help stop it. An ally like that could be useful in the future. "Whatever you want, just let JARVIS know when you need to roof, wouldn't want to catch me gallivanting in my skivvies up there." Tony winked at Jane and put his sunglasses on, glancing at Darcy he added "Daria, you keep an eye on my friend Bruce. Enjoy the roof Doctor Foster. Stark Out!" He said in a brash fashion giving them both the peace sign as he walks out the lab.

"It's Darcy!" She screamed to the closing door. _He_ knew it was Darcy.

Jane had a smile on her face as she looked at her assistant. "You made a friend, good for you."

"Drop it Foster, don't make me shred your life's work" Darcy glared at her and held up a piece of notebook paper with codes on it, the paper dangling just above the shredder.

"You wouldn't" Jane said startled.

Darcy put the paper down on the desk. "Your right, I wouldn't, but its fun to threaten" she admitted going back to highlighting the paper. She wondered when she would see the doctor again.


	5. RUTH

**A/N: Thank you so much for all the follows! How about a little Pepperoni and Science Sisters… More Bruce next chapter. As always I do not own Marvel or anything; I just love these characters!**

* * *

RUTH

Darcy and Jane were enjoying dinner in the kitchen of the suite they shared. If this whole astronomy thing did not work out for Jane, Darcy thought she'd make a killing as a chef, her macaroni and cheese skills were superb. The sound of a British robotic butler came over the intercom. Darcy dropped her fork a bit caught off guard. Jane seemed a bit calmer listening to the voice.

"Doctor Foster, Miss Lewis, Mr. Stark request your presences in the penthouse, he would also like you to bring any equipment you wish to the balcony. He will be awaiting you there" JARVIS informed them.

The two women looked at each other.

"Grab the chairs, I'll grab the box" Jane said with excitement as she stood up and took the plates to the sink.

Darcy was already up and making her way to the closet. "On it!"

* * *

Jane and Darcy stepped out of the elevator for the first time on the penthouse level. Their suite and laboratory was amazing but nothing like the view and open space of the top floor.

Tony was busy in the kitchen area shaking up drinks. He was dressed in a black and white tux, the arc reactor in his chest barely visible.

It was a rare occasion that Pepper was in the tower tonight as her and Tony had an event to attend. "Hi Girls" she said greeting them with a smile, wearing a sparkling blue dress and her hair pulled back in a bun. "Let me help you with the equipment and lawn chairs?" Pepper questioned.

Darcy pushed her glasses up and smiled back at Pepper realizing that they would have to explain the lawn chairs "artifacts from New Mexico, Jane couldn't part with them."

"They are good luck chairs, besides I couldn't get the trailer up here." Jane sounded sad missing her little oasis in the desert.

Darcy made the sign of the cross "thank the Asgard Gods!"

Jane was hurt "we had good times there." A part of her missed the times before Thor, before even Darcy, when her she would set up the portable satellite in the solitude of the desert and waited watching the night sky.

"Yes, and now we are here with central air and shiny..." something catches Darcy's eye in the middle of the room. "Is that a hole in the floor?" She walks over and bends down next to a large outline of a person the concrete, running her hand along the edge she ask "what is this?"

"Where Hulk smashed Loki into the ground" Tony said bending down next to her. "Remember what I said about the book, it's things like this that make them cautious about all of us." He stood up and started to drink the martini.

Pepper took the glass from him and took a sip "needs more olives;" she instructed handing it back to him.

Darcy stood up as Jane walked over to inspect the spot. So, Bruce's alter ego was dangerous after all.

"Tony wanted to plaster over it but I wouldn't let him; sometimes owning part of the building is a good thing." Pepper cherished the times when she could use the 12 percent to her advantage.

"It's going to kill resale value" he called out from the bar area. Not that he was planning on selling the building anytime soon.

"It adds character and even this building should carry a scar, so you never forget" Pepper said kissing his cheek as he handed her the drink back with several olives in it.

Jane seeing the couple suited up felt very under dressed in her jeans and long sleeve sweater. "I'm sorry, were you going somewhere we can come back?"

"Art gala, Pepper is making me go" Tony says as if he were a five year old kid on the first day of school.

"It's a charity for the performing arts held at the MET and Stark Industries is one of the sponsor" Pepper corrects him. "Happy is waiting downstairs"

"Enough chit chat, to the balcony" Tony says leading them out towards the glass area.

Darcy and Jane grab their equipment and lawn chairs and quickly followed him outside. He leads them out to the north east side.

"Perfect" Jane says putting the laptop case down. "Darcy, you see I told you this side would diminish the light from the city".

Darcy sets the large metallic box down holding astronomy instruments and then started to open up one of the lawn chairs.

"Yeah, yeah, landscape is great" Tony says with the unenthusiastic tone of a New Yorker that had seen the city lights all his life "but have you ever seen anything like this?" He asks turning towards the right of them he commands "R.U.T.H. Open!"

The floor opens as a large telescope with a robotic arm rises from the ground.

Jane was practically drooling as she ran her hand along the metallic machine. "It's a Meade isn't it?"

"Actually it's Stark Industries." Tony said motioning to the logo on the side. "We make telescopes, as of last night."

"Why Ruth?" Darcy asked more curious about the name than the brand.

"Really Unique Telescope Helper" Tony smiles amused at his own cleverness. "Has all the hook ups here on the side, and give her a coordinate ... Anything..."

"RUTH, 07 23 06.55 +21 49 38.5" Jane says reciting her favorite planet's coordinate from memory. Although NASA concluded that Pluto was not really a planet she was in a small branch of scientists that still believed it was, mostly for sentimental value. She had spent time with her father when she was little looking for the planets in the sky.

RUTH turns and the telescope points upward towards the sky.

Tony motions for Jane to look into the eye piece.

Jane sticks her eye up to the hole and looks. The small star cluster she gave the number out for is in sight. Jane pulls away from the telescope with wide smile on her face. "This is amazing. How did you do this? I mean thank you!"

"I don't sleep" Tony said completely honest with her. It had actually been refreshing to him to turn his attention away from the iron suits for a night and focus on something new.

Darcy looks through the scope as Jane starts to hook up the wires to the laptop. "Ok. Holy crap that's awesome!" She taps on the metal arm "we don't have to worry about it turning into some sort of suit do we?"

Tony laughed "no, but good idea! I should make a suit that stands up to space travel".

"It froze didn't it, the mesosphere is negative one hundred forty degrees" Jane said bringing the science fiction back to science fact.

He flinches for a brief second remembering the wormhole. "Yes" he says slowly remembering the claustrophobia and then blacking out.

Pepper popped her head out "Tony we are going to be late, again"

Tony was glad for the interruption. "Excuse me the boss is calling"

"If you need anything SHIELD is downstairs and JARVIS is always on duty" Pepper waves bye to them.

Jane smiles "Thank you! Enjoy the arts" she says waving back to Pepper.

And then it's just the two of them on the roof of the Stark tower. The busy city streets far below them, and the clouds and stars so close Jane felt she could almost touch them. Opening her lawn chair she finished setting the equipment up, looking back through the eye hole again "this beats all the free college help from the university and all the grants in the world."

"You're welcome BTW" Darcy commented opening Jane's journal up to record more findings.

"Darcy, I didn't mean it like that, it's just this is pretty amazing. Besides I got you the six credits you needed didn't I?"

"Yes you did!" Darcy couldn't not deny her that, especially since Jane's report on Darcy had been glowing after all that happened to them. "I totally think the dean had a crush on you! The old man called you an astronomy goddess said it was the best report he had ever read on an intern."

"Well you deserved it. You did start out knowing nothing, and I'm pretty sure now you could be on planetary Jeopardy" Jane said proudly.

Darcy cringed thinking of competing on a game show. "I wouldn't go that far"

"I'm still proud." Jane smiled at Darcy and then turned back to her new toy. "RUTH 125 00 32 03.8 + 48 43 44" she called out going down a list of positive potential stars. The telescope turns several degrees and up a degree.

"Jane?" Darcy got serious for a moment she lowered the music on the laptop and looked up from her notebook. "This isn't just about Thor is it? I mean great if it is, I for one can't wait to post more pictures of him on Facebook." She thought _If Shield lets me ever have a Facebook ever again,_ "but you've been super science girl lately. Especially since Erik went back to Europe, so spill"

"How'd you guess?"

"Cause I have been stuck with you for some time now Foster, I notice things. I guess you can say it's my super power." Darcy pushed her glasses up and clicked on the ITunes panel feeling like they needed some up beat music tonight.

"Don't get me wrong, I want to see Thor more than anything but how can I look at these stars the same way when I've seen someone else's?" Jane looked up at the sky wondering where the other realm's stars were hiding.

The hawk watched them from the vent as the hum of a Bon Jovi song started to play from the laptop. Jane busy at the telescope and Darcy, pen and paper in hand, wrote down coordinates as she spoke, the only time Jane paused was during the chorus. "Top floor clear, eyes on Foster and Lewis, nothing to report here, moving down now" he whispers into his ear piece as both women start to belt out the lyrics of Livin' on a Prayer.


	6. Magazines

**A/N: Thank you all so much for the story follows! I hope you all like this chapter, I hope I wrote the right amount of every emotion because it's a ballpark this chapter! As always I do not own anything, not even N&NIP (yeah i totally make a Nick &Nora reference at the end)**

* * *

The timer Darcy set up to indicate the periods of the day when Jane should take a break beeps wildly as the clock hits 10 AM. Jane does not budge from her place in front of a large 3D hologram of a star chart.

Darcy taps the top of the timer making the alarm go off. She reaches in her desk and fiddles with a box, pulling out the pastry wrapped in shiny metallic plastic wrap she walks over to the large hologram where her boss is in the middle tapping at 3D stars. Waving her hand in front of some of the stars they dissipate.

To say that the women in the Foster laboratory are not morning people would be an understatement. It had been a fluke when Thor had been there that they were so bubbly. Mornings in the Foster lab after long nights up stargazing require extra effort to communicate as the two women resort to prehistoric forms before the sweet nectar of coffee touches their lips.

"Breakfast" Darcy says holding the PopTart out to Jane.

"Coffee" Jane replied taking the pastry in one hand.

"Eat" she commanded her boss.

"Coffee?" Jane asked again to her assistant.

"Coming" Darcy replied walking to her desk she pulled out her iPod and stuck it in her pocket and then grabbed the Starkbucks card.

Darcy pressed the elevator button thinking about Doctor Banner; she could not get him off her mind since Tony's rude interruption of her highlighting the other day. The elevator door opened she stepped inside and pressed the lobby button. She wondered, questioning the air "JARVIS?"

"Yes, Miss Lewis, how may I assist you?" the voice that sounded like a British butler came out of no where.

"Is Doctor Banner here?" So the question was broad; but she wondered maybe he had gotten called away on some secret Avengers mission since she had not seen him at Starkbucks since their encounter.

JARVIS was quiet a moment and then replied. "He is currently in his lab on the 74th floor; would you like me to turn on intercom communications?"

"No, no, no. That won't be necessary, in fact please do not tell him I asked about him. You can do that right?" Darcy looked up at the ceiling again as if the robotic butler's face would be there.

"Yes Miss Lewis, scratched from the record"

"Thank you JARVIS" Darcy said with a smile stepping off the elevator onto the lobby floor.

The newspaper stand outside caught her eye as she was walking back from Starkbucks to the elevator. She walked outside to check the papers out. Darcy bit her lip staring down at all the different magazines at the news stand outside the Stark tower. She grabbed Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated, Entertainment Weekly, and People, steering clear of the tabloids with Tony Stark's face on the cover. She handed the news stand clerk some money and made her way back inside with the coffee and magazines; and up to the Powerpuff girl lab as she called it, even though neither of them had superpowers.

Jane eyed Darcy as she set the coffee down and turned to walk out the lab. "Where are you going?"

"I just have to drop this research off with someone" Darcy said pressing her lips together as not to give out too much information. "Relax I'll be back in two minutes" _Ten if I get Hulk smashed._

Jane looked back down at her papers and back up to Darcy, sipping her coffee. "As long as you don't forget whose assistant you are"

"You had me at hello" she recited a line from one of their favorite Tom Cruise movies. The first week Darcy had been Jane's intern Jane had been stuck on a science problem she couldn't figure out. Darcy initiated movie breaks to help Jane relax and the girl had never seen The Outsiders, so from that point on Cruise anthology movie breaks had been enforced. Minority Report had been Jane's favorite. Tropic Thunder was Darcy's but she did admit to loving the fantasy of Legend as well.

* * *

Darcy pressed the button to Dr. Banner's floor a bit nervous. Apparently the A.I. had taken it upon himself to let Bruce know she was on her way once she had pressed the 74th floor's button.

The metal door, steel with a small window in it, clanked open as Darcy approached it. She still thought a building that knew your presence was way creepy but as long as she didn't have to pay rent she wasn't going to complain.

Bruce stood up and looked towards the door, the smell of roses and early morning coffee made his nostrils flare as she approached him. He was highly acute to smells, another side effect of the gamma. Before he could say anything she had her hand out at him and her lips were moving.

Darcy sticks her hand out to him. "Lewis, Darcy, no MD or PHD or superpowers, just Darcy, research lab assistant and collating extraordinaire to Dr. Jane Foster. And now you?" She waits patiently for him as he slides his rough hand into her smooth grip.

"Banner, Bruce, PHD in physics, but you know me better as the lab rat with great hair" he grips her hand lightly, her skin was so soft he did not want to let go but he did, and the corner of his mouth turns up ever so slightly.

Darcy's mouth hangs open. "Did I say that? I'm going to taser Tony Stark so hard"

"He hacked my phone and placed the voice clip as a ring tone every time he called, let's just say that I do not have that phone anymore, after the seventeenth time" he says the last part a bit ashamed "I lost my temper."

"I'm going to murder Tony Stark!" Darcy felt so embarrassed, if she had only known who Bruce was at the time. "Why you didn't tell me in the elevator that day or in the coffee shop? You asked about your drink"

"When people find out who I am they tend to treat me different"

"I get the outside world treating you different, they don't know, but Stark employees...that's just wrong." Darcy wanted to reach out and ruffle his hair or hug him, but stopped herself.

She said the last part with such empathy, part of him wanted to believe she really felt that way. "They have a right to be even more cautious they know what I am"

"What you are not who you are," if there was one thing Darcy learned as a political science major is sometimes you have to separate the people from their positions. "If you ever want proof of that there is a big hole upstairs. You smashed Loki, makes you a hero, not a villain in my book."

_If she only knew she would run._ "That was one time, it doesn't account for what else I did." Bruce's hand went to the back of his head scratching, nervous, why was she here again? "I'm sorry Ms. Lewis, did you need something?"

"I brought you some magazines, so no more awkward not knowing who the next pop diva is just in case you ever find yourself at a superhero party and the topic comes up" Darcy placed the magazines down on a clear spot on the desk. "I should totally make you a party mix, practice the dance moves, I'd let you use my old IPod but Agent Coulson stole it, you don't know where they keep that stuff do you? I should ask JARVIS, he seems to know everything."

Bruce looked at his new reading assignment. "You have a wild imagination Ms. Lewis. You highly over estimate the exciting life most of us live." She sparked something in him, something he buried away, emotions he swore he'd never let himself feel again after Betty.

Darcy raised an eyebrow and smiled thinking of the Hulk busting a move. "The Big Guy isn't a party animal?" So, he wasn't Tony Stark. She was itching to know if there was some wild side under all that salty goodness.

She smiled, at him, thinking about him, even if it was his alter ego she was more interested in, Bruce's heart started to beat a little faster.

Her eyes narrowed on him and she smirked "I bet Hulk could bust a move" he was suppose to be some rage monster but she wondered if there was more to Hulk than met the eye. A piece of her hoped he wouldn't take that opportunity to freak out and turn into the Big Guy right then. Bruce, to her surprised, gave a small chuckle.

"That theory has never been tested. Ms. Lewis what invokes me, to bring him out, it's not usually under happy circumstances. And when it is, it doesn't end well either. Pain or pleasure it's all the same. Any heightened emotion is bad for me you understand." That was Bruce's curse.

She bit her lip and paused for a moment. "Which makes you an introvert." Darcy tilted her head to the side and gave him another look. "It's ok, the best geniuses are" Jane for one. She bet all the great ones were introverts except for Tony. "But there is something else about you too, a shy anger." She had googled him in the Stark database but there was no mention of his past before General Ross. "You were an only child? Am I right?"

She cut him down with those piercing blue eyes, exposed him, and sought him out for what he was_. A shy anger. If she only knew. I'm always angry. _"You are correct."Bruce grew quiet and turned away from her. He gripped the edge of the desk as his hand started to shake. His childhood was not something he liked to discuss. She was prying, maybe it was her nature or maybe Stark even put her up to it. He could not talk about his childhood, not with her and not today.

"Thank you for the reading material Ms. Lewis" he spoke calmly just above a whisper, his head down, eyes locked on a spot on the floor.

She could tell she crossed some line she shouldn't have. Pushing her glasses up she turned back towards the door. "You're welcome, Doc" she said looking back over her shoulder at him.

* * *

Darcy's head hit the wall of the elevator as she pressed the button for her floor. _Smooth Lewis, real smooth. _This is not how she imagined making new friends in the Stark tower. When she arrived back at the lab Jane was busy again with the 3D hologram of the star chart. She grabbed her pen and paper and pulled a chair up next to Jane.

"You're quiet" Jane said noticing the lack of bubble in Darcy's demeanor.

"So, what did RUTH see?" she asked Jane brushing off her comment. There was a time and place for girl talk, about gamma radiated doctors and exs, it was over a bowl of ice cream on movie night when Jane would talk about how horrible Dr. Blake was and how she would dream of being in Asgard; Darcy would confess she still sometimes missed her drummer ex-boyfriend Nicholas.

Darcy did not see Bruce later when they went down to the cafeteria, and part of her was sad.


	7. Pop-Tarts

**A/N: Thank you so much for the follows and reviews! I wanted to get Fury right so this chapter took a little longer. As always I do not own anything, not even Poptarts. Also bringing in Agent Ward because i'm excited about the SHIELD show, isn't everyone?! So this is my take on Agent Ward as well!**

* * *

Pop-Tarts in the Park

Bruce glanced over at the magazines across his desk. He hesitated grabbing the Rolling Stones issue off the top of the stack. He opened it, relieved to see that there is a Led Zeppelin article. HE finishes the article, flips through a few more stories and moves on to the next magazine. As his stomach growls he glances over at the clock. What was he doing? Was it for him or for her? Bruce took the magazines and placed them in his top desk drawer. He pulls out a bag of blueberries that Tony got him addicted to as a good snack food. He went back to studying the blood samples under his microscope, caught up in his work he didn't realize it was dark until his SHIELD issued mandatory phone went off. The message: **Assemble**. The same time Tony walked through the door.

"Spanky pants up Bruce" Tony said walking in holding a box of Randy's donuts in one hand and a suitcase in his other hand.

"The unstable molecule technology for the pants Reed gave me is far from" Bruce paused really not wanting to say the last word "spanky"

Tony dropped the box of Randy's donuts on the desk and spots the magazines. He starts to push the magazines across the desk as if he is looking for something. "None of these have my picture on them"

"I think that is the point" Bruce acknowledged, understanding Darcy had been keen picking out magazines. He opened the box of donuts and took out a glazed one, putting the sweet item up to his mouth he had forgotten how hungry he had been.

"Let's go, in the mean time; I'll have Pepper send some up for you." Tony said.

Bruce grabs the SHIELD bag under his desk and stands up. "Thanks. You are always looking out for me."

"Coo at the zoo, seems the local villains were having a few drinks at a bar in Bronx, got a bit rowdy. Some new guy named Bullseye is causing the stir, Director Eye Patch wants us to check it out. Apparently there was an agent a few years back with the same nickname..." the rest of Tony's speech is garbled as he shoves half a glazed donut in his mouth; following Bruce towards the door.

"Bullseye?" Bruce questioned the name of all these villains sometimes "sounds like another marksman"

"Katniss and him can compare archery scores" Tony loved any excuse to call Hawkeye by any nickname he could find, he had been saving the Hunger Games reference and innerly cursed himself for not using it in Clint's presence. He finishes off the donut as they walk out the door.

* * *

Darcy and Jane stood at the elevator waiting to go up. Darcy pushed the button several times and finally gave up. "JARVIS"

"Yes Ms. Lewis?" the A.I. responded right away.

Jane looked at the elevator door "JARVIS, can we go upstairs?"

"I'm afraid Doctor Foster that the whole building is on lock down. Terribly sorry for the inconvenience"

Inconvenienced his ass, what did the robot have to be sorry about? "I'll start the movie" Darcy said upset Jane would not get to use RUTH tonight. No stargazing, bummer. She had liked being outside above the whole city, maybe tomorrow night. She pulled out The Last Stargazer and popped it in the DVD player as Jane started to make popcorn.

* * *

The door opened to the Powerpuff lab and Agent Hill walked in holding a file. It had been a long night, the villains had taken the Avengers and Fantastic Four threw three boroughs. Most of the villains had been contained for the moment; which is why she was here.

It was coffee and breakfast time. But Darcy did not care about the coffee this morning since the lock down last night. She looked up seeing Maria Hill, the two women didn't exactly have the best relationship since Darcy had her taser taken away the first day she signed the papers to work with SHIELD and Stark Industries.

Darcy stood up and slid the Pop-Tarts wrapper into her back pocket.

"Agent Hill" Jane addressed her as the agent approached them.

"Doctor Foster, we at SHIELD are very impressed by your work here so far, please keep it up."

"Thank you" Jane said with a smile "glad I can help here"

"We appreciate it" she turns her attention towards Darcy. "Help, which is why I'm here" she holds the file with the SHIELD logo on it out to Darcy.

"What's this?" Darcy asked taking the file.

"Section 17, article 3" Maria explained. "We can pull any employee from any task when we need them for protocol"

"You want me to come with you to some top secret mission that you won't tell me about until I agree too?"

"Yes." Maria answered bluntly.

"Excuse us" Jane said to Maria pulling Darcy aside. "Darc, this could be your chance"

Darcy frowned. "My chance to get killed, no thank you"

"You don't want to be stuck here with me in a lab forever do you?" Jane knew she had bigger ambitions than that.

"Maybe." Darcy pressed her lips together, her stubborn nature coming out. "I've gotten use to the smell of ammonia"

"This could be your shot to do more here." Jane could see the potential even if Darcy couldn't. "Take it"

Darcy gave up, maybe Jane was right. She looked at Agent Hill and then back to Jane. She leaned into Jane and whispered "if I die, my vinyl record collection is under the floor boards, in my old room, at my parents house."

* * *

Darcy and Maria were in the back of an unmarked SHIELD car driving deeper into New York City. Darcy looked down over the paper with the SHIELD logo on it, **MISSION STATEMENT** in bold print at the top, she skimmed over the words, the letters **H - U - L -** **K** popping out at her in various places. "You want me to do what... talk to him?'

"If necessary yes, you are an innocent, he won't hurt you unless he feel threatened by you."

Darcy wasn't so sure she believed Maria. "And you know this how?"

"We've been studying him since the beginning. He's smarter than he appears to be."

_No shit Sherlock_, she thought he was Doctor Banner's alter ego after all. Her and Bruce hadn't exactly parted on the best terms, she still felt she said something wrong to him, maybe this was a way to make up for it? "I'll do it."

"Good, take your shirt and slip this on" Maria said pulling out a ladies tactical vest from a compartment in the seat next to her. She clicks a button and a black screen comes up between the front and back seat.

A bit apprehensive at first Darcy slips off her sweater and unbuttons her shirt and puts the vest on. The vest, to her surprise is actually form fitting and not as uncomfortable as she would have thought. "Won't you be there?" she asks slipping her sweater back on over the vest.

"Safety precautions. You are still classified as a civilian" Maria said straight forward as the approached the scene. The car stops and the door opens.

The two women get out of the car. Darcy is surprised they are at the edge of Central Park. She can see it has been blocked off and there are many agents surrounding the area.

An agent holds out a small case and opens it. Maria takes the item out and holds it up to Darcy. "You wanted this back right?"

Darcy starts to reach for it.

"One condition" Maria says

Darcy narrows her eyes "name it"

"Training." Maria read the file, knows she knows how to use it. "We properly show you how to use it and other items."

Darcy takes the taser, bringing it up to her lips she kisses the side of it "Mommy missed you." She checks to make sure its battery is fully charged and safety is off, aware now the agents are watching her. Another agent hands her a belt like contraption with a holster for the taser.

"This way" Maria says starting to walk into the park. "Here you'll need this too" she holds out a Bluetooth ear piece to her. "Communication is key"

Darcy slips the ear piece in her right ear and starts to follow Hill deeper into the park. She can see trees have been torn apart, grounds moved, and a large piece of land looks burnt.

"One last thing, take your glasses off" Maria beckoned the command.

"Ugh, fine" Darcy grumbled taking her glasses off she shoved them in one of the pockets of the holster. She hoped she wasn't going to have to do any shooting far away she couldn't see a damn thing.

Maria informed her of the situation. "Hulk tracked some of the Sons Of The Serpent society here. He managed to damage or kill most of them. The others managed to kill themselves before we could contain any information about them. They are suicide bombers."

"So what am I doing again?" Darcy raises as eyebrow as she can hear what sounds like a lion roaring coming from in front of them.

"Talking him down." Maria stopped and pointed in the direction of the sound. "We need to get him calm and back to Doctor Banner. We'll be right behind you. Don't worry we are everywhere."

Darcy started to slowly walk forward. "Ok, got it, great, cause I'm great at talking to people and not making them angry or upset with me at all..."

He throws a small boulder it hits a tree with a cracking noise. The Hulk stops growling as a female form comes into view. He stares down at Darcy. "BETTY" he screams making his way towards her, his foot steps making large pockets of dirt in the ground. Hulk stops abruptly when he does not recognize the woman in front of him. It's not Betty Ross. She has long brown hair and blue eyes and smells beautiful but it is not his Betty.

Darcy is shaking a bit, not wanting to admit she's scared shitless, but she is. Holding the taser tight in her right hand she looks up at the big beast in front of her. He is more green muscle and anger than on television. "I'm sorry, I'm not Betty" Darcy says calmly composing herself. She watches as his expression changes from anger to melancholy. She sees something in him; a slight bit of change, and she thinks for a moment she sees the doctor in his expression. He lets out a heartbreaking howl.

She doesn't want to shoot him with the taser gun anymore instead she wants to hug him. She reached into the holster pocket slowly pulling her glasses out she slipped them on. "These are my glasses, and my name is Darcy Lewis, and I would hate to have to shoot you with this gun of possible, so I think if we both keep calm and..." Darcy lowered the taser sliding it slowly into the holster. "I won't have to shoot you." She thought back to shooting Thor as he screamed for his hammer.

He studied her, and watches her anticipating she would attack; she did not look like a regular agent. Not like the black spider that made him angry on the ship, no she was different. He listens to her words carefully watching her body movement.

Darcy's left arm rested against her back pocket and she could hear a crinkling noise coming from something. She reached in her pocket and pulled out the Pop-Tart. The shiny metallic paper reflecting off the sun. The Hulk watched with curious eyes. She opened the wrapper slowly and pulled the frosted strawberry pastry out. "Mmm" Darcy said putting the PopTart up to her mouth and taking a bite. "You want some? I know you are a vegasuarus how about just a taste?" Darcy held out her hand up and away from her as far as she could stretch and squeezed her eyes shut waiting to get swatted or smashed. The Hulk hesitating reached for the pastry and slowly put it in his mouth. A content chewing noise could be heard and Darcy opened her eyes and watched him eat.

Darcy slowly nodded. "Good huh? Your friend Thor ate two whole boxes and was still hungry. I bet you could eat eight boxes"

The Hulk huffed "PUNY GOD"

"Keep him talking we can see on the monitors his heart rate is dropping good job" she could hear Hill's voice in her ear piece.

Darcy slowly sat on one of the smaller boulders and patted the rock next to her, the Hulk cautiously sat down with a loud crumbling noise from underneath him. He looked towards Darcy. She was still terrified that he could smash her any time he wanted but she put on a brave face. Her lip curled up in a smile hoping he couldn't tell she was still a bit scared. "Good, we are friends now, so I'll share my last one with you" she said holding the other strawberry pastry out to him.

"FRIEND" he repeated taking the pastry and eating it.

"I like Central Park, don't you? Except for all the pigeons, but there are some places deep in the park where you can't hear the hustle and bustle of the city. I can see why the bad guys ran here, good cover, almost like a jungle. I read the report of you escaping to the jungle, I'd run there too." Darcy continued to speak and the Hulk just listened intently making a huff noise when she spoke about the creepy crawlies in the jungle. After a few more minutes he shut his eyes.

Maria Hill approached with the recovery team.

Darcy was pulled away as she turned back she just barely caught the Hulk changing back into a almost naked Bruce. Two agents walk her towards the street and one of them opens the door to an unmarked black vehicle. No one was in the back with her, but someone was in the front seat, she could just see the back of his head.

"So it's been fun, but I'd like to go back to the tower now" Darcy asks leaning forward.

"You still have to be debriefed" the agent replied.

She sits back as the car pulls into an underground garage. "No, I'm good really, don't have to be reprogrammed today, thanks"

The car stops in a parking spot in the large garage. There are many cars around but open space around the area where the agent parked. The car door opens and a gloved hand reaches in to escort Darcy out of the car.

A rather tall African American man wearing a black duster and eye patch was on the other end of that gloved hand.

Darcy stands and pulls her hand back slowly. She knows who this is. "Director Fury" she says very intimidated. Her body tensed knowing this man could probably kill her with his pinky finger if he wanted to. "Is this the part where you flashy thing me and leave me on the side of the curb?" She asked as they make a large circle walking in the garage.

"Funny, someone I used to know loved that movie" he said thinking about Coulson. He folded his hands and smiled. "No, Ms. Lewis if we wanted you gone not even a bloodhound could find you"

"Gulp" Darcy said out loud "So debriefing?" She asked not really feeling comfortable in a parking garage with the head of SHIELD.

"We are doing it right now. Unless you want to go sit in a stuffy white room." He taps his ear piece "get a room ready."

She waves her hands in the air. "No, no, please Director. White room not necessary" She hopes she made the right choice.

Fury's lip curls up slightly only for a moment. "There are two types of people in the world, those that run from fire, and those that run into it. You just ran into the fire. Which is why you are going to be a great agent. We employ a diverse group here at our little underground agency. We look for all types of degrees, specialties, skill levels"

Darcy still could not see why she was chosen. "Soooo what's my skill setting? I'm sure you have a file on me right? Does it say I have mad taser skills, I perfected in college, that guy totally deserved it in the ba" Darcy stopped herself when she realized she was ranting to the Director.

"I bet you did what you had to do." Fury nods but stays monotone. "We can improve upon that skill, and teach you a whole new world of things."

"Was the Hulk a test?" Darcy asked already knowing the answer.

"Your intuition serves you well." Fury keeps walking slowly as he questions her again. "Does it help you passed?"

"You used me. When he saw me at first he thought I was Betty. That's like breaking girl code" Darcy pushed her glasses up and glared at him. She wanted answers. "Why not Agent Hill? If all you needed was some brunette to hoax him"

"Lets just say, they don't get along." Hill was there on the Helicarrier when he changed and though their interaction was brief Fury did not want to risk anything in Central Park.

"And you want me to be some sort of Hulk tamer?"

"More than that, you took political science to travel?" Fury was digging now, something he was very good at. "Name any place in the world; we have agents"

Darcy shouted out the first remote place she could think of "Budapest!"

He smiles. "You have to be level six for that mission"

Darcy arched an eyebrow "so what level am I?"

"One, but you show potential. Good job out there, Agent Lewis. Agent Ward will be escorting you back, and be sure we'll call on you again" The Director held his hand out to her again as he opened the car door with the other hand.

Darcy looked up at him "Thank you," "Sir" she adds very intimidated and she slowly shakes his hand again. She then slides back inside the unmarked car.

The agent in the front seat says something into his ear piece she can't understand and then looks back at her. "He's impressive isn't he?" Ward asked glancing back in the rear-view mirror at Darcy trying to make small talk about the mission, he thought he'd start with her part, the Hulk.

"Gives a whole new meaning to calm demeanor" Darcy said thinking he was talking about Fury. She sat forward to hear the agent better.

Agent Ward laughed as he looked back at her in the mirror. "Calm? He's a rage monster" he had seen the Hulk in action twice now and was glad the doctor was on their side.

"Woah, harsh that's your boss" Darcy said.

"The Director?" Darcy asked Ward feeling they weren't exactly talking about the same person.

"Kid, I'm talking about your mission. The Hulk, was pretty impressive." Ward said realizing she was talking about Fury. "Director Fury is a complex man, you have to understand he holds this whole organization on his shoulders."

"The name is Darcy."

"Sorry, habit. We've been with you a long time and you remind me of my kid sister." Ward said looking straight ahead again.

"How long?" Darcy asked sitting back in her seat.

Agent Ward looked back at her. "Since Thor could not pull the hammer out the ground. I was part of the team in New Mexico with Barton and Coulson."

The car pulled up to the tower and Darcy got out relieved it was over; she got out wanting the fresh air again. Darcy paused sticking her head back in "hey Ward, why didn't the Avengers fight the Destroyer back in New Mexico?"

"Because there were no Avengers." Ward tapped on his ear piece and the blue light went off. He looked back at her, off the record was best. "Captain Rogers was still in the ice, Stark was fighting a Russian ...classified I shouldn't even be talking about it, and Doctor Banner was on the run. You witnessed the beginning back in New Mexico. We all did."

Darcy at that moment felt a little better about having been stuck in New Mexico witness to the Asgardians. "Thanks" she said closing the door she stared up at Stark tower. The big incandescent word at top of the building seemed to glow even brighter in the daylight. She walked into the lobby and to the elevator, it seemed the chaos had dissipated and everything in the building was back to normal. She made her way back up to the lab.

Jane was sitting on the floor with a large star map; she looked up as Darcy sat down next to her. She hands Darcy a pink marker "17.5.35"

"You aren't going to ask are you?" Darcy questions taking the marker.

"No. But what are you wearing?" Jane notices the holster.

Darcy pulls out the taser. "Check it. I have to get 'trained' but you are right, maybe this gig won't be so bad." She smiles thinking back on today, paralyzed by fear at the time but she thinks she could do it again; her and the Hulk in the park.


	8. Purple Handkerchief

It had been two days since Central Park and no further events yet. But Darcy had been given a notification of a survival training class she was not looking forward to. The sky was clear this afternoon and Jane was making plans for RUTH this evening.

Darcy was working on some notes on her computer when an email notification popped up. She clicked on the email and scrolled through not really expecting much. The usual your brother is doing great at Brown, Dad says hi, wish you'd come home for a visit, and oh by the way your dog died. She grabbed her cell phone out the desk and pressed the Parental Unit number. She knew phone calls were suppose to be only for emergency purposes, part of the super secret agency policy and even that was a no-no but she was upset and this was an emergency.

Her mother answers with a kind "Hello?" but Darcy does not give her time to say anything else.

"Mr. Belvedere dies, and you just send an email? I'm not in prison Mom. I gave you the phone number for emergencies!"

Jane looks up from her work hearing Darcy scream as the phone flies across the room. "Darcy?" she ask concerned.

"I'm taking five" Darcy says walking past Jane she grabbed her IPod out of her desk and makes her way out.

"Wait, where are you?" Jane watched her walk out the lab.

Darcy pressed the button to the elevator, she waited for what felt like an eternity. "Screw this" she pushed up her glasses and brushed past the bathrooms and one set of stairs and pushed open a door that had a DO NOT ENTER sign on it. She was happy when it turned to be a stairwell and not a giant hole in the building. She walked down a few steps and sat down. She slammed the ear buds into her ears with force and pushed the play button turning the music up as loud as it could go.

* * *

Bruce wearing olive drab sweat pants and a white t-shirt, was sitting in the middle of the floor of his room Indian style. His eyes shut and concentrated on his breathing. Whale sounds in the background acted as white noise so he could focus. He breathed deeply in and out. Control was key. Practice was vital.

"INTRUDER IN RESTRICTED STAIRWELL E - 74TH FLOOR" the voice on the intercom connected to the phone lets out a warning as a small red light flashes.

He stands up and walks over to the phone system, tapping a button. "Banner responding" he guessed he was the closest one and wouldn't hurt to go investigate. He doesn't bother with shoes just in case it really is someone dangerous. Bruce pushed open the DO NOT ENTER door and started to slowly make his way down the stairwell towards the 74th floor. He heard her before he saw her, a small weak sob as if she was trying to hold it in.

"Darcy" Bruce said making his presence known. He steps down so he is only two steps above her. He could hear the music now, no wonder she didn't hear him. She is in her own world. Whatever music she was listening to sounded like angry rock music he wondered what her old IPod had on it that SHIELD took.

Bruce reaches in the pocket of his pants a pulls out a piece of cloth.

Out of the corner of her eye she sees something purple. She reaches for it and brings it up to her face, the cotton fabric felt soft against her face. She pulled it away looking at the purple handkerchief. "Thanks Jane, but I really don't feel like" she turns looking up she sees him. Darcy pulls the ear buds out her ears and presses pause button. "Doctor B" she exhales "I'm not suppose to be here am I?"

He slowly nods a no. "Are you ok?" Bruce asked concerned. "Is it Jane?" He has heard from Erik that Jane could be intense when she was in work mode.

Darcy wipes her eyes with the handkerchief again. "Peachy. My dog is dead. It just hurt, you know? Not being there for him."

Bruce did not do talking, especially about touchy subjects like this but part of him wanted to make the effort for her. "Abandonment can be hard." He took a breath and counted in his head trying not to think of his only family issues, she made it easier as she continued to talk.

"Pretty dumb huh? I'm in my mid twenties and I'm crying over a dead dog. I hadn't even seen the dog since sophomore year of college. I didn't really get to go much home because I always summer intern-shipped; my parents came out to visit me a few times in New Mexico and then Thor happened and ta da here I am." She looks up at him, he looks different in just a t-shirt and sweat pants, looking down she even notices he has no shoes on. Darcy made a mental note to ask him about that later as she bites her lip and looks forward down the stairs continuing her story. "I got him in high school because my counselor thought it would help if I had a friend" she makes quote signs around the word friend with her fingers. "We traveled around a lot and I guess they thought I had an attitude problem. So, I had my brother and the dog."

Bruce wasn't a people person. He liked science, numbers and statistics. She was a variable, a fluke in an equation. He should not be here with her, but here they were. Against his better judgment his right hand hesitates just above her back and then he places his hand gently on her shoulder. Her sweater is soft on his hand and her hair feathers over his hand as she turns her head to look at him again.

"I had a dog."

"You did?" Darcy asked her face lighting up for a brief moment.

He pulls his hand away from her and leans forward as if to tell her the story. "On the run I lived In Brazil for several months. I got a job at a soda pop factory, it was nice cause they paid in reals and as long as I was a good worker they didn't ask questions. I lived in this little shack four stories up in the oldest side of town, and the dog would bark if it heard anything, saved me a few times."

"What happened to it?" She clutched the handkerchief in her hand and pressed her back up against the side of the wall turning towards him to listen.

"Not sure" Bruce scratches the back of his head a bit nervous " the mutt is probably still there saving lives." He was almost positive that agents had shot the dog but he was never going to tell her that. Part of him liked to believe the dog was still out there somewhere too.

"And the handkerchief? I wasn't even aware they made these anymore" after the words left Darcy's lips she wished she could take it back. He had no reason to be nice to her all she felt like she did was criticize him, again.

"It is old fashioned but it's useful, that one has been around the world." He stands up seeing that she sounds like she is back to herself.

She gives a smile, pushing her glasses up trying to make up for the stupid thing she just said. "For saving damsels in distress?" She holds it out to him to take it back.

"Among other things. You'll see." He waves his hand in a gesture for her to keep it. "Might come in handy some day"

She pulls the handkerchief back holding it tight. "Hey Doctor B, can we keep this between us? I have a reputation to uphold as the girl-that-tased-Thor-extraordinaire"

He looks back at her his expression is serious and she thinks she can see a little glint of green in his eye as he says "I don't think you have anything to worry about."

Darcy wonders "why is that?" She was pretty sure she had more things to worry about now than ever.

"You made friends with the monster." Bruce was talking about himself now, both sides. "It puts you on a short list of people no one wants to mess with." That wasn't true, she would be in more danger now, and a small piece of him feared that. He only knew of one person he trusted that could help her with whatever SHIELD was going to throw her into next.

"Oh you heard about that, wasn't my idea." She tries to play it off like it wasn't a big deal.

Bruce nodded and turned to go upstairs. "I know. Wasn't mine either." He read the report on why they chose her. She did look similar to Betty but she was so different. He saw the grainy SHIELD footage of the park, and knew his other half saw the difference as well. Bruce started to walk up the steps, the concrete cold against his bare feet. He gives her a friendly warning "stay out of restricted zones Miss Lewis"

"Thanks Doc" she said watching him go up. She put her ear buds back in her ears and made her way back to the lab slowly.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter was inspired by a great Darcy/Bruce story where Natasha and Clint actually go to Brazil to get the dog back, but that's another story, not mine, but Lucky the pizza dog may make an appearance later. I don't own anything and as always thank you so much for all the wonderful reiews and follows! **


	9. Small Favors - Part 1

**A/N: As always I do not own anything. A little bit of build up in the next few chapters, we'll get to see the hawk (caw caw) and the widow coming up, thank you so much again for all the reviews and follows! **

* * *

The Avengers sat in a board room at the SHIELD headquarters in New York City. Tony passed the bag of chocolate covered blueberries down as he only partially listened to the stern brunette speaking in front of them. Janet Van Dyke passes the bag to Bruce, he takes one and passes it on. Maria Hill stands in front of a white board with a 3D hologram projected in front of it. She was going through a list of suspected terrorists and the usual villains of the week.

"Report is a large supply of uranium has gone missing, we believe Doctor Victor Doom is behind it, his whereabouts have been unknown since last Thursday. Eyes and ears open people. Meeting dismissed" Maria says tapping the 3D image it disappears.

Everyone started to file out the room. Bruce could hear Tony behind him laughing about using uranium. He spotted the archer in front of him at the edge of the doorway.

"Clint" Bruce said extending a hand to Clint in a friendly greeting.

Clint acknowledged him "Bruce, nice seeing you at a meeting"

It was true Bruce had been mostly dormant his time in New York. "Yeah well I could use your help with something"

"Sure" he shakes Bruce's hand, not exactly old friends but war buddies.

* * *

The SHIELD basement was immense with boxes of paperwork , files, artifacts, dating back to the SSR days of World War II.

"Your lucky its only been a few months, but I still don't get why you need to see this stuff, most of the important things were returned to Doctor Foster when she agreed to help us" Clint said making his way over to one of the closer shelves,

NM-51. He pulled a large black box off the shelf, pressing in a code the box opened.

Bruce glanced in the box, it appeared to be a mess of scattered files, hard drives, and miscellaneous office items taken. Why was he doing this? For her. Because she lost something she cared about. He wanted to give her something back. She was bad for him, and something inside of him liked it.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Clint asked raising an eyebrow at his fellow superhero.

Bruce had started to look through the files and various folders. "A portable music player"

Clint smirked. "Music? Ok I'm not going to argue with you. You can kick my ass after all."

"Only up close." Bruce was sure Clint was the best long range shot he'd ever met. He was glad they hadn't met when he was in Brazil or Nepal.

The two rummaged threw the box for several minutes until Clint pulled a zip lock bag with some sort of music device inside.

The MP3 player was sealed in a plastic bag with an item number slip attached to it. The label read: **Item 17- NOT AN ASSET - NO DATA FOUND **

Clint flipped the bag over, Coulson had written a note describing the music on the player as while not vital to the case or his kind of music the mix was heavenly. "Leave it to Phil! I bet the bastard listened to it in his car the whole way back from New Mexico. Then labeled it not an asset." Clint handed the bag to Bruce. "Smooth move"

"Excuse me?" Bruce asked taking the zip lock bag. "I am not making a move" his voice stern as he remained calm.

"Easy. Grant and I were assigned to watched her and Doctor Foster in New Mexico for a few weeks after the incident." Clint explained.

Bruce felt a small pang of jealously out of no where.

"She's not one of us, but she's part of the bigger picture, she's an innocent that got tangled up in this web. All I meant was I bet she would appreciate having a piece of her old life back" Clint said locking the box back up. Sometimes he wished he could go back, but like Natasha said they had too much red in their ledgers.

"Why save it? Why not send it back to her?" Bruce wondered out loud.

Clint pushed the box back into the shelf. "Agent Coulson was a great handler, the best, if the player was in the box it's because he thought it was important." He traced his hand along the row of boxes as the two of them made their way back to the elevator. "No matter what the file says, sometimes he did things despite Director Fury's orders. See all these boxes, no one collected more evidence from any case than Phil." He stopped at the elevators and pressed one of the buttons to the lobby level. The two men made their way back upstairs.

"Thank you Clint" Bruce said as he stepped off the elevator in the undercover SHIELD agency building located a few blocks away from Stark tower.

"Anytime Bruce" Clint said pressing the button to one of the upper floors of the SHIELD building.

Bruce arrived back to his lab and put the iPod in one of his desk drawers, saving it for next time he saw her. He noticed the new stack of magazines on his desk and a post-it note:** Thanks for yesterday, P.S. saw the trashy mags with Stark's face on them, figured who left them, threw them away, Your Welcome - Darcy**. She drew a smiley face underneath the note. His lip curled up a bit, Tony had actually got one of his many Stark employees to bravely deliver him tabloids. But unlike Darcy's reading material; he had not touched them. He smiled going back to his work, maybe the monster did have a friend after all.


	10. Small Favors - Part 2

**A/N: as always I don't own anything! so it took me a little while I wanted to make sure I wasn't being too hard on our girl, I still think I was a little hard on her but it will help her in future chapters. I hope yall enjoy meeting some more avengers/agents, thank yall again for all the reviews and follows!**

* * *

Darcy walks into the old wrestling warehouse, the place is empty except for the center ring. She can hear two people fighting. She makes her way over to the benches on the side of the ring and sits down, setting her newly issued SHIELD backpack down, the purple handkerchief is tied to one strap. She watches the pair in aw of the talent.

"Again" a female with a face guard on and black boxing gloves screamed in an accent.

The sandy blonde all American punched at her hands again. One. Two. Three.

Natasha's red hair flies as she moves to the side in a defense move. She grabs his left arm, spinning him around. "Don't go soft on me now Rogers"

"Wouldn't dream of it" Steve says going down to one knee he swings his right leg to break her fall. She starts to go down and catches herself with one arm, flipping back up.

"Better" Natasha said going over to the corner of the ring she pulls off her face guard taking a drink of water out of her water bottle. She looks over at Darcy sitting there on the bench. "You, shoes off!" She never trained in shoes, and actually did better fighting with her shoes off, so that is how she was going to teach.

Darcy stood up and took her shoes off. "Um...ok. I don't think I'm suppose to be here. I mean this is the right address but the letter said training. I was expecting a classroom, not exactly a boxing ring with" she pauses as Steve come out of the ring. "Captain America?" her mouth hangs open a bit.

"Good afternoon, Ma'am" Steve says with a cheery smile walking to the bench to grab his equipment.

Darcy musters a "Hi" as she can't take her eyes off of him. He is taller than he appears on television, larger muscles, and he looks like they could have modeled a Ken doll after him. She blinks as the Russian lady starts to yell.

"Agent Lewis, focus" Natasha calls out.

Steve smiles again "Miss Lewis huh?"

"Darcy actually, but I guess it's all military here huh, last names." She looks over at Natasha and back over at Steve.

He flashed the all American smile again. "Nice to meet you, Steve Rogers at your service."

"You too" Darcy said slowly still mesmerized by the superhero.

Natasha rolls her eyes. "Agent Lewis!"

Darcy snapped out of it and started to make her way over to the ring picking up the green boxing gloves and face guard that was closest to the corner she came in on.

"Holy shit, you're the Black Widow" she said coming into the ring and getting a closer look at her opponent. "Why are you training me? Shouldn't some bottom level agent have to the train the new girl?"

"You can call me Natasha and we were all bottom agents once." She was still a child when a Soviet leader brainwashed her to join a gang and start to mercilessly kill innocent people. Many died at the smooth hands of a trained spy. Natasha wished she had people that had cared about her psychological health the way they care here. Darcy didn't know how lucky she was. "Let's just say your position may put you in more danger than most, so we are taking special care with your training." In actuality it had been Bruce that had asked her and she agreed. She was going to start by breaking Darcy today so that no one else ever would. "What are you afraid of Darcy?"

"Spiders?" Darcy answered really not sure what kind of answer the Widow was looking for. She had been afraid of the dark when she was younger but she felt there was some other answer Natasha was looking for.

Natasha studied her a moment; then walks off the ring and comes back with a chair. "Sit and put on the blindfold." She holds out a black facemask.

Darcy unwillingly placed the blindfold on; she sits down in the uncomfortable folding chair as the Widow cuffs her hands lightly behind her. "I saw an episode of Oz that started out like this once, it didn't end well." It was dark and the ring was quiet except for her own heartbeat she could hear pumping away in her chest. The fear of the dark feeling was creeping back.

"What are you afraid of now?" Natasha asked in her right ear.

Darcy tilted her head up trying to figure out where exactly Natasha was. "I'm afraid you are going to do something that is going to leave me in a cast"

"Humor is good and bad; humor will keep you alive, it gives you hope. Fear is good too Darcy. The enemy is going to try and use it against you. You can't let them." Natasha gracefully and quietly moved around to the other side of the chair and whispered in Darcy's left ear. "Are you afraid of the dark?"

"No" Darcy lied. She was starting to hate whoever suggested the Black Widow 'train' her. At the same time she absorbed everything Natasha told her. Her other senses taking over now for her lack of sight she could hear street noises and what she thought was Natasha's feet on the mat.

"What are you afraid of?" Natasha asked again a little louder in her right ear. "I think you are scared of something you won't say"

Darcy wondered how she knew. "Isn't everyone?" What are you afraid of?"

"I will tell you, but not here, this time is yours." The Widow was in front of her talking softly now. She was testing Darcy, and she had her right where she wanted her. Darcy was going to give her everything. She saw Darcy bit her lip, a nervous twitch that she probably did not even know she was doing. Natasha smiled. "You are afraid"

"I am" Darcy said her tone just as smooth as Natasha's. She just wanted this part to be over. She wanted out the darkness.

"I want to hear it" Natasha was at her left side now moving so swiftly she made no sound with her bare feet on the mat. Years of diligence hand thought her strict technique.

The darkness still trapping Darcy inside. She looked towards where she thought Natasha was. "No"

"WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?" Natasha was in front and her hand was on Darcy's chin again.

A tear rolled down Darcy's face. "Ok, OK"

Natasha let go of her face. "Say it"

"THE DESTROYER" Darcy screamed "I'm afraid once we open that portal" she didn't finish her thought as Natasha took her blindfold off. She gasped not believing she actually let out the fact she was afraid of the thing that attacked New Mexico, still; and she told the secret to the Black Widow of all people.

* * *

Ward and Sitwell watched from behind a glass office on the second story of the old building. "Grant we have to stop this"

"Easy Jasper, don't get your knickers in a bunch, she's stronger than she looks" Agent Ward watched with a smile, he had seen people break before but had no doubt she would not.

Sitwell folded his arms and watches the action below. "You say that till Romanoff brakes her neck, she's just a civilian"

"Wrong" Ward reminded him "she's an agent now. Fury chose her"

"With no prior military training" Sitwell reminded him it took a lot to get to the top and many have fallen.

"Neither did you." Ward smirked knowing he had Sitwell cornered.

Sitwell didn't like this game. He never wanted to be a field agent; he was assigned to it, he just wanted to make a difference and discover the unknown. "Which is why I'm just a logistic liaison and not a field agent"

Ward turned towards Sitwell as the two agents went back and forth. "Which is why you'll never make Level 7"

"First Coulson and now you, there is no Level 7" Sitwell turned back to the glass watching the training, in denial of the upper level he so long to achieve.

* * *

The Widow goes behind her and bends down unlocking the handcuffs. She does not mention the Destroyer or Darcy's fear at all. "Another day I'll teach you how to get out the cuffs. Today we start with simple punches"

"You mean that wasn't the start?" Darcy rubbed her wrists, the handcuffs had been loose but she still hated the feeling of having something binding her.

"No. We wanted to make sure you weren't afraid of him." Natasha walks over to the corner of the ring and picks up two bottles of water walking back over to the center she hands one to Darcy. "Take five, get some water then we start"

Darcy is silent as she takes the water. The Black Widow had done the crazy interrogation because they wanted to make sure she wasn't afraid of the Hulk? She felt sorry for him not afraid of him. Maybe when he was doing his whole 'here my mighty roar' thing, but she had bigger things to be afraid of than a big green muscled man that probably did not deserve to get tank rockets shot at him.

Natasha gave Darcy a few minutes to recover. She put the boxing gloves and face guard in the center of the ring. Natasha put on her boxing gloves again instructing Darcy to stand in the middle with her.

"What would you do if I were trying to attack you?"

"Do I have my taser?" Darcy wondered about her favorite weapon. "I'm going to say something related to the groin area if you were a man, and I'm a killer hair puller"

"Funny girl, that will get you in trouble, just ask Stark. But, at least you have a starting point." Natasha helped Darcy with her gloves and put her hands up instructing her to punch. "Always have a plan. It doesn't have to be the best but being a step ahead could save your life. Lie if you must"

"I grew up with a little brother, we beat the living hell out of each other till I was old enough to drive" she had almost forgotten they drove their mother crazy with the fighting. She remembered and punched with her right hand and then her left hand.

"Good, now use your whole arm, from here" Natasha forced Darcy's right arm up more to a 90 degree angle. "Your whole body, now again"

She swung with all her might. She didn't think she could fight someone but maybe a few more wounds with the Widow and she would enter the IFBA. Natasha made her punch over and over until she felt like she could not fight anymore.

"Good." Natasha smiled, Darcy was a quick study, she liked that, she could use that. "Again"

Darcy hit her palm hard and stopped trying to catch her breath.

"Better" Natasha dropped her hands. "All for today маленький cectpa"

She dropped her arms, Darcy's whole body feeling fatigued, she was so happy it was over. "Give me Hulk in the park any day" she said slipping out the ring she walked back to her bag and put her shoes on. She didn't look back at Natasha or the boxing ring.

Darcy did not go back to the lab instead she went to the suite. Walking into the bathroom she stripped down and turned the water in the shower on all the way to the H. The steam filling the large bathroom up within a few minutes. She got in, washing her hair the warm water washing away the humiliation of the day. Darcy rested her head against the cool tile wall of the shower. She had admitted the thing she hadn't told Jane yet, she put on a front, but she was afraid of whatever was on the other side of the Einstein Rosen bridge.

* * *

**A/N: the Russian is roughly translated as "little sister" **


	11. Stark Party 1

**A/N: thank you all again for the reviews and follows! As always I don't own anything, just a Darcy Lewis fan! So lets get to the party..**

* * *

Darcy dried her hair and slips some fresh clothes on, grabbing one of the Stark Industries hoodies in the hall closet she put it on over her purple camisole. She grabbed her maroon scarf and slipped on a pair of flip flops and walked out the suite and across the hall to the lab. A note on her desktop had an arrow pointing up and the word RUTH scribbled in Sharpie marker on it.

She walked to the hallway again and stopped at the elevator. She pressed the up button.

"Good evening Miss Lewis" the A.I. welcomed her as she stepped onto the elevator.

"Good evening JARVIS, top level please" Darcy pressed the top button. She half expected the robot voice to talk back to her or ask her how her day was but the elevator door just opened, the white button to the penthouse already lite up inside.

Tony's penthouse was full of activity that night. Pepper was in town and her and Tony had been going

back and forth all night debating on whether or not Stark Expo was a good idea this year and was a party really necessary on such high alert. His friend, Colonel James Rhodes, aka War Machine, was there as well giving Tony insider military information on two bombing suicide incidences in America with in the last few months that they are hiding from the public.

Darcy brushed past all of them, giving a quick hello to Pepper, she opened the glass door and walked out onto the roof. "Sorry I'm late boss" she said taking her spot on one of the lawn chairs. She leaned back in the chair not realizing the workout had made her so sore.

"It's ok, I'm already preparing myself for the day they take you away for good and I'll have to get another intern from the science department." Jane said with a smirk handing the pen and notepad over to Darcy. When that day came she was fully aware she wouldn't find another intern as good as Darcy.

Darcy grabbed the writing utensil and paper and turned the page to a fresh sheet. "Good to know you won't miss me" she gave a small smile in return, she'd miss working with Jane if that day ever came but knew there were far better people that could help her, people with actual astronomy degrees.

Jane peered through the scope "not even a little."

"Liar" she replied cranking on the music on the laptop.

It was about an hour later when Darcy looked up from her lawn chair seeing a figure silhouetted from the door light. She could tell it wasn't Tony or his friend Rhode but was curious as to which random agent or spy was watching them. She went back to plotting star charts but got annoyed when she looked up and he was still there several minutes later. "Is that perv going to stand there all night? He hasn't moved in ten minutes"

"Just ignore him" Jane said pressing a button on the side of RUTH. She looked through the telescope again not really caring about someone watching them as long as she could get her work done.

Darcy could not just ignore him, slamming the notebook down she walked over to the glass and tapped it "you like what you see?"

Clint opens the glass door and steps outside. "You could save time if you automatically typed everything in the computer instead of hand writing it first"

Darcy saw it was in fact an agent, a bright silver and black S.H.I.E.L.D. patch on his shirt, she raised an eyebrow as Clint's eyes start to drift towards her chest. "Good advice creep! So, you can take all our data again, thanks but no thanks"

"Actually it's Clint Barton, but you can call me Hawkeye if you want Agent Lewis" he makes eye contact with her now flashing Darcy a snarky smile.

Unlike the other Avengers Clint could be just a guy off the streets that you would pass up if you didn't notice him. He was average height, short spiked blonde hair, wearing a black t-shirt and black cargo jeans, and combat boots. She was pretty sure if she saw him in a bar she'd flirt with him but it wouldn't

go far. "No frickin way." She couldn't believe this was the great archer. Then panic set in, was this another test already? She wasn't ready so soon, her body ached from earlier that day. "Wait you didn't come to get me did you?"

Clint laughs "no, that's not really my job"

"So what is your job? Cause watching us on the roof it's called stalking" Darcy zipped up her hoodie a bit more so the girls were hidden.

"Observing, I cover the tower two nights a week" Clint clarified it was actually his job. "When I'm not saving the world" he smirked trying to impress her. She was ballsy, reminded him of Kate, or his ex, he liked that.

Darcy rolls her eyes. Of course he would have an excuse for stalking them it was his 'job' _suuurrre_.

Clint crossed his arms. "I made Thor a promise"

"Thor?" Jane looks up from the telescope interested in the agent now. Any word from the Asgardian made her miss him even more.

Clint brushes past Darcy and walks over to Jane.

"What kind of promise?" Jane turns towards Clint now very interested in what he's saying.

"To keep you safe. We all did." Clint told Jane. "You are the closest thing we have to an answer about the portal"

Darcy stayed silent listening to Clint speak of Thor.

"He said that?" He had cared about her after all; Jane smiled. "He said he was going to return"

"Well he said something like that but it was more Norris like and something about jewels of Valhalla and whatever a bilsmitien is" Clint tried to remember the God's exact words the day he took Loki and left Earth.

Jane corrects him "bilgesnipe." She had so many more questions for the archer but her time was cut short as Tony Stark strolled past Darcy and stands next to Clint.

"We are kind of busy here Tony" Clint said looking over at him, he didn't care this was his house or his balcony, he wanted to let Jane know what they had been hiding from her. "We all agreed" he managed to get out before Tony started to talk. For Jane's safety, she was the key.

"Sorry to interrupt." Tony had a smug look on his face, he wasn't that sorry. "Just wanted you all to be the first to hear the great news" actually he would have told anyone around they just happened to be standing there.

Clint raised an eyebrow but kept silent.

"Stark Expo is on! We are going to celebrate with a party, a dance, a shin dig, a hoopla, a hoe down if you will!" He wrapped his arm around the archer's shoulder. "Bird Man what do birds call them? A hoot-la" he released his fellow Avenger feeling very proud of that pun, a big smile on his face grows as he made his way over to Jane and Darcy. "What do you say girls?"

Clint spoke up, "I don't think it's a good idea"

"Butt out Robin Hood." Tony quipped without even looking at the agent. He waved his hands at Darcy and Jane. "I'm asking the lovely ladies if they want to party."

Darcy spoke up now "after the day I had I could use a party"

"We're on high alert" Clint reminded Tony again.

Tony scratched his beard, true they were on high alert, great. "Then what better time to celebrate, hmm we'll need a theme… Doctor Foster shoot" Tony points to Jane.

Jane was caught off guard looking at her telescope and back at the men standing to the side of her, she slowly answered. "Space party?"

"No, no, no, what is this NASA? Hey why aren't you working for NASA?" Tony asked shooting Jane a quick glance back before going on about the party. He looked towards his next victim, Darcy "Daria, quick help your superior" he snapped his fingers quickly trying to think of something.

Darcy didn't bother correcting him, it had been a long day, but she did love a good themed party if that is what he was looking for. "80s Retro party? Or 50s, or 20s… flappers are in this season"

"Masquerade party!" Tony throws his hands up in the air like he was the first one to ever think of that idea. He pictures it in his mind, describing everything he sees out loud. "Lots of costumes, lights, bling, something that says I am Iron Man!"

"Costumes?" Clint had met Tony late in the game. He didn't get the chance to socialize with him on the Hellicarrier like the others did, it took time to get used to him, and he didn't think he'd ever get use to his terrible archery jokes.

"Relax" Tony patted Clint's shoulder as he started to walk inside to tell Pepper the news. "I'll make sure no one else wears your Park Nam-Joo costume" he'd have to remember to have JARVIS research more famous archers for him he was running low on quip material.

"JARVIS blueprints for a bunny suit!" Tony said as he opened the glass door and went back inside.

Clint stood at the edge of the roof looking down, then right and left to the adjacent buildings. He tapped on his ear piece. "Barton checking in, Stark Tower roof secure"

Darcy walks over to the edge looking down, Clint sticks out his left arm in a protective manor. She feels his arm against her torso and steps back. "You really are working?"

"I may joke a lot, not as much as Stark, but when it comes to work I'm serious. These people gave me a second chance, and a third chance." Clint thought about getting his mind warped by Loki, it should have been the end of his career at S.H.I.E.L.D. "I have to prove myself now"

"And here I am thinking my day sucked" she gave him a small smile.

"You did good Kid." He said using Ward's nickname for her. He only wished his kid brother would have been as strong as she was. "Tasha' said you were great out there."

Natasha must not have told him about the Destroyer, or he wasn't telling her. "Thanks, it didn't feel like it."

"If she wants to train tomorrow, and she will, tell her you feel like Paris. She'll understand." Clint knew she'd remember Paris, one of their best missions together, sure they had almost gotten killed but it wasn't Budapest. He heard the awful noise coming from the laptop and bit his tongue not telling Darcy about her IPod. Clint walked over to some vents, stepping on a certain brick the vent opened and without saying another word the archer spy was gone.

* * *

The Stark Expo party was held that Saturday at Stark Tower and it was a grand event. The whole bottom floor of the building was being used for the party. Darcy and Jane walked into the main ballroom costumed and in Darcy's case ready to party. She was in high spirits that night, needed a good party, lived for the music, dancing, and purely to let go of your troubles for a few minutes. Clint, Natasha, and about twenty others had been given a small hearing aids to wear so they could keep in contact secretively without causing alarm.

In addition to her duties with Jane, Darcy had been assigned to help Pepper make sure everything ran smoothly tonight with the party. Her mission was to observe. The Avengers have not had a battle in a week and tensions were high that something was bound to happen tonight with Doctor Doom still MIA; at least that was the vibe Darcy had received from her two new favorite S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. She stood near the punch bowl watching the agents and Stark employees and invited guests on the dance floor.

Clint was dressed in a green version of his usual uniform, he had gotten the idea from Tony and actually dressed like Robin Hood so he could keep his weapons close. Darcy didn't even want to know where Natasha's guns were hidden as the slit that ran up her black gangster dress was almost to her hip, and her normal heels were replaced with a shiny gold pair of stilettos which she assumed could be used as a weapon. Darcy was pretty sure the Widow had at least had two pistols hidden in the fedora she was wearing. She watched the agents on the dance floor, wondering how many times they had danced before for a mission; they were killing it. She also watched Dr. Henry Pym and Janet Van Dyne on the floor, she wondered what the relationship was there.

Jane and Darcy stood towards the entrance of the hall. Jane, dressed as a black cat, was caught up in talking about a scientific theory with another Stark scientist. Darcy watched the dance floor as Clint and Natasha danced to a traditional type of waltz with a few of the other guests that knew the dance. Bored with the science jargon Darcy started to make her way around the hall. She stopped near the appetizers, curious if these were bagel bites or some fancy Italian food that just looked like one of her favorite snacks. She didn't even notice the man behind her at first until she turned and jumped. "Geesh, Barton you scared the crap out of me, you should wear a bell."

A smirk rose on his face "Coulson used to say the same thing. How about a dance?" The spy held his hand out towards her.

Darcy took his hand tentatively. "Why? Won't Natasha get mad you are dancing with me?" Her eyes drifted to the other side of the big ball room where Agent Romanoff seemed to be schmoozing some rich Mexican mogul type. She was guessing there was more to the story then what bubbled up in her mind at the moment.

"Tasha and I are complicated, always will be. It's just a dance Darcy. There are eyes on you. I wanted to make sure you are noticed in your" he looked her up and down, his eyes this time resting on her chest a bit too long before drifting back up to her face again. "What are you anyway?"

"Well, I was supposed to be a 50's diner waitress" she points to the cat eye style glasses on her head and the giant up do and the hair sprayed mess of curls falling around her head. The white button shirt and short poodle skirt were supposed to be a dead giveaway but Darcy thought she'd reconsider the costume next time.

"So who is this person?" Darcy slid her arm around his neck as they started to dance. Though Clint threw off a great air about him he was only a few inches taller than her. He spun her with the grace of a ballroom dancer. She remembered reading his file, his parents had died and so he ran away to the circus. She wondered if dancing was a trait he inherited from his time there.

Clint turned her again towards where Natasha was still hanging on some ugly mobster's arm. "Here is your lesson for tonight. There are how many waiters?"

Darcy looked around a bit "ten"

"Thirteen, two on our radar as suspected felons" Clint said spinning her with the grace of Fred Astaire. "Three potential threats if you count King Pin's right hand man hanging on Tasha's ever word"

Darcy whispered low, not that anyone could hear her over the loud music "so why not kick them out?"

"The bunny let them in" Clint said with a scowl at Tony's behavior "to show we are not afraid or to piss off Director Fury." Clint was sure it was the latter of the two, this whole party was a show.

He turned her again and for a second time and she noticed the white masked man in the black tuxedo that had seemed to blend into the background before. Clint turned her again as the dance continued.

"I thought he avoided social events" Darcy said slowly into Clint's ear. Darcy's eyes falling upon the scientist again. She wasn't sure at first it was him, but he hadn't moved from the spot against the wall.

"Can't blame the guy, none of us really do like this sort of thing, even Rogers likes to keep a low profile, except for Tony" Clint said turning Darcy again so he could see the giant robotic Roger Rabbit dancing in the middle of the floor. His personality somehow making even a giant bunny seem extraordinary.

The dance ends and Clint releases Darcy leading her off the dance floor. "Thanks I was kind of feeling like a wildflower"

He smirks and winks "wildflowers aren't so bad"

Tony is on the microphone now at the DJ booth. He seems to be still composed and not as drunk as his parties in the past but he is rattling off about any goons that think they can destroy Iron Man should come at him.

"Not letting the press in was a good thing" Clint says as he starts to walk away towards a few more costumed agents.

Darcy turns looking for the masked man, and finds herself sad when he isn't where he stood a few minutes ago. She meanders through the crowd until she reaches the punch bowl. She turns watching the dance floor again as the beautiful strawberry blonde in a sparkly red dress escorts Roger Rabbit off the stage. She spots Jane talking to Henry and starts to make her way over to them.


	12. Stark Party 2

**A/N: I don't own the Serenity line I stole, it's Joss's, I don't own anything, so let's get back to the party...**

* * *

Bruce watches Tony from the corner happy Pepper was able to get him off the stage. He does not want to be here, but Pepper asked him, another eye on Tony. He knows what happened at Tony's last party, not exactly something he wants to be caught up in, and he can't shake the feeling of danger here. He spots the bee hived brunette that just finished dancing with Clint making her way through the crowd. He walks towards her intent on giving her back the IPod and then leaving her alone.

"Would you like to dance?" Bruce's soft raspy voice speaks from behind her as the music dies down.

Darcy turns seeing the Phantom of the Opera standing near her, she was about to smack the random S.H.I.E.L.D. agent sneaking up on her when she realizes its Bruce. "Again, bell, all of you need bells, way to stealthy. And don't you turn into a big giant smashing monster? You should be louder!"

He doesn't say anything, he just listens, watching her ruby red lips open and close. He knows he should not like her, his mind is telling him stay away but the other part of him, is craving to get to know more of her. _Just ask her to dance, it will be fun_ Tony had said like it was that easy for him.

She takes his right hand and they slowly make their way onto the dance floor. Unlike Clint he is apprehensive, and it seems like he doesn't exactly know where to put his hands as they start to dance. So she helps him out, placing his left hand on her back against her hip she takes his right hand in hers. Darcy feels his rough palm and wonders about his time in Brazil he talked about the other day.

He doesn't even realize they are dancing until something she says snaps him out of his daydream.

Darcy looks at him, even with the mask on it did not hide the distress apparent on his face. "Guess I can't call you an introvert anymore, huh?" she said trying to bring him back to the present. Her left hand on his shoulder her fingers on the black cape. She had to admit she was digging his whole Phantom costume look with his hair slicked back; he looked poised and refined.

Bruce replies looking at the Darcy with a shy innocence's in his tone. "Pepper asked, all eyes on Tony"

"Right, I heard about his last party" she spots the iron bunny out the corner of her eye. "Sounded like a freshmen keg party gone wrong"

Bruce follows her eyes to Tony. "I wasn't at his last party." He was happy he had not been at the chaos of the iron suits gone wrong, he had been battling his own demons at the time.

"Neither was I, so we are like Stark party virgins" Darcy looks back at him and smiles. "Popping our party cherries. Think there will be swag bags at the end?"

"Excuse me?" Bruce isn't exactly sure he heard her right talking about virgins and popping cherries.

Darcy laughs "I'm just saying we need t-shirts… we survived Stark Expo kinda thing." She smiles as he spins her slowly. His dance is not eloquent like Clint's, it's stiff and unnatural as if he is afraid of hurting her. "I'm guessing you are a large."

"I used to go to parties, before this, " Bruce says turning her slowly his stretch shorts on underneath making dancing uncomfortable.

She ducks under his arm and turns slowly. It was the second real thing about his life he told her. A true thing. He had gone to parties in college, met Betty at one, and had a good time once or twice.

The air in the room suddenly changes, Bruce's nostrils flare, and he looks from Darcy's blue eyes to behind her. He scans the room but nothing and no one looks out of place. Something here was not right. There were too many people and he felt he should not be here.

She watches him look to the side seeing his focus far away now. "Dr. B? What's up? Lassie fall down a well?" Darcy asks a little nervous. She slid her hand down from his neck to rub his arm. She can feel the tension in his arm muscle and waits with baited breathe hoping he does not Hulk out on her while dancing.

Bruce looks back at her feeling her comforting touch on his arm he is honest with her. "I thought I smelled something."

"Smelled?" Darcy raises and eyebrow. "Spill the dirt Phantom of the Tower." She moved her hand back up his arm to his neck.

Bruce tries to correct himself. "Sensed would be the proper term"

"Move over Peter Parker" Darcy had heard about Spiderman's special powers and thought they were fascinating. "You have spider sense or Hulk sense… Doc that's awesome!" She whispered the next part "Clint said there were potential threats, is that it?"

"Possibly" he turns and she spun around slowly, keeping her eyes on him. Bruce tells her as much as he can "the day on the Hellicarrier, I smelled Loki before I saw them escort him down the hallway." He'd never forget the smile on Loki's face as he passed Bruce's lab that day.

She wondered what Thor's brother used for his Asgardian deodorant "what did he smell like?"

"Like his brain was filled with a bag of cats" anyone else would have cracked a smile saying a line like that but Bruce kept a straight face; and she did laugh.

Darcy laughed so hard her glasses fell off her face. "I think that's the best description of crazy I've ever heard!"

Bruce bends down and picks up her glasses, the song was ending and he hands them to her. He had to change the subject. He did not want to relive that day ever again, so he tried to bring it back to her. "I thought I'd find you in a meat suit"

"You actually heard about that singer?" Darcy was impressed and touched. She didn't really think he'd read any of the magazines. "She's insane"

"Yes, but you like her music" he shouldn't have said that, he knew she liked Lady Gaga because he had seen her playlist. The iPod in his pocket, fully charged, just waiting for the right moment to give it to her.

"Duh, she's the new Madonna, but I found this and went with it." Darcy took the glasses from him and put them back on. "Guys love the cat eye glasses right?"

Bruce's lip curled up in a small smile as they walked off the dance floor. She followed behind him until he stopped towards the wall, quieter away from the crowd.

"So, why Phantom of the Opera? You are the Phantom right?" She looks him up and down. She did not think he was an anime fan. "I was going to say Tuxedo Mask but I don't see you watching a lot of Sailor Moon on the run"

"I can relate to him." Bruce touched the side of his mask. "His face was disfigured, hidden behind a mask away from the world."

"Is that the way you think?" Darcy's eyes narrowed, she felt empowered in her costume and she was going to use her cat eye glasses for the good of mankind and make him spill the beans. "And here I thought it was because he was the hero"

"Hero?" It was Bruce's turn to chuckle, maybe she was crazy, neither he nor his mask were heroes.

"Sure, Raoul was a jerk, wanted to take Christine away. Phantom wanted to protect her, ok" she threw her hands up in the air making hand motions "so yeah stalker hiding in the drapes wasn't a great way to go"

He cut her off. "So it makes it ok to kill people?" Bruce's left hand tightens into a fist.

"No it doesn't" Darcy wasn't about to get in a screaming match with the Hulk so she lowered her tone, but at the same time she wanted him to open up to someone and she was better than no one.

"I took innocent lives." Bruce releases his fist and takes a deep breath. "I got low, and when I couldn't think of anything else to do I put a gun in my mouth."

Darcy let out a small gasp "but you didn't"

"I'm not a hero Darcy." His voice gets deep, a low growl in the back of his throat. "HE spit the bullet out."

She wants to rip the mask off his face and slap him; she could not believe he pulled the trigger, but another part of her wanted to kiss him and tell him everything is going to be ok. She resisted the urge to do both, instead she tucks her arms under his and around his back in an awkward hug as he stiffens up. She can feel the muscles contracting and relaxing under his black suit shirt. She turns her head resting on his shoulder. "Some small part of you wasn't ready to give up the fight" she whispers in his

ear. She almost pulls away and then adds "on behalf of all those New Yorkers ... Thanks Big Guy"

Bruce's palms rested in between her shoulder blades, his fingertips touching her hair sprayed curls. He relaxes against her form breathing her in the hairspray, and her perfume. "I forgot you and him are friends now"

"Not him and I" Darcy pulls away and looks at him hiding behind that mask. She presses her pointer finger into his chest "you and me." He did not get to be friendly on the stairs one minute and try to push away the next, she was going to show him that's not how the world worked.

Her finger in his chest is uncomfortable but not Tony Stark prodding pen sharp "it's not too late, you could change your mind, before" Bruce doesn't finish his statement, he does not want to be responsible for her.

Darcy takes another step back "before what?" She was part of this now and she was not going to turn back now.

"Before you realize you made a big mistake." Bruce can feel the monster in the back of his mind. He runs his hand through his slicked back hair wishing they weren't in this room having this conversation. "Darcy this job doesn't come with a retirement package" his polite way of saying what he doesn't want to. Bruce realizes what she said was true about them being friends and he does not want to have her blood on his hands.

Darcy takes a step forward again. She pushes the cat eye glasses up and looks him in the mask "you don't get it do you, Doc?"

"That I'll get you killed" Bruce admits the thought nagging him in the back of his head since he found out about the park; his hand moves to the IPod again in his pocket. _Just give it to her and walk away._

"You are right, I could die" she heard Jane's voice behind her calling for her. She turned to see Jane waving her to the dance for one of her favorite dances; and then turned back to him. "But, what if I don't die? What if you save me and I save you?"

Bruce thought out loud. "That's a nice dream." He could not afford to live in the fantasy world she loved in. He watched the loose curls fall around her face as she turn between him and the dance floor, wanting to reach out and touch her hair he resists.

"Yeah well not all of us can dream about Asgardian Gods falling from the sky" she looks back at Jane again and then back at Bruce. She puts her hands on his shoulders and gives him quick friendly kiss on the side of the mask. "No more bullet to the brain pan squish."

He closes his eyes as her hands touch his shoulders. _Save him. _ Bruce opened his eyes as she moved away from him.

Darcy smiled hoping her pep talk did something to help him. "I'm going to dance the Thriller with my boss and the iron rabbit, later Doctor B!" She pushed her cat eye glasses up making her way out to the dance floor she turned looking back but Bruce was gone.

* * *

Jane had confided in Darcy that she been in tap and jazz before her mother died and it was her father that had pulled her out of the classes. Darcy had known there was a wild side to her boss slash friend under there somewhere, it just took Stark and his rad 80s mix of music the DJ played to get it out of her. They danced from Michael Jackson to Aerosmith until a small watch Jane wore beeped.

"1AM" Jane shouted over the Duran Duran "break time!"

"Are you kidding me cat woman? We actually going up to check RUTH?" Darcy waved her hand towards the ceiling "the old girl is fine!"

Jane tried to explain, wishing Erik was there. "Sun flares are happening as we speak, this might be the best time this month in conjunction to the Casimir effect with the solar flares stretching into space" her mouth was then covered by her assistant.

"Stop, let's just go" Darcy grabbed a hold of Jane's black tail as the scientist maneuvered through the crowd. The two women made their way off the dance floor and past the crowd into the main lobby area towards the elevators.

The elevator area of the lobby as quiet, eerily quiet. Jane noticed the lack of people are guards as she pressed the up button and turned just time to see nothing. The black bag slipped over her head, she started to scream.

Darcy turned and actually managed to block one of the men dressed like ninjas, her cat eye glasses dropping to the ground before another managed to slip a black bag over her head. She tried to scream out as something sharp and painful hit her back, she heard one of them mention the name 'Foster' and then her world went black.


	13. Doom

**A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews and follows! Sorry for the long time in between posts, as always I do not own the Avengers and I do not own Futurama.**

* * *

"Sir" JARVIS's voice can be heard in the bunny helmet Tony is wearing.

Tony looked at the blue and green stats on the inside of his mask "JARVIS buddy, this better be important, I'm rockin me Amadeus here"

"Someone is trying to slip in the back way by trying to compromise the firewall, Sir"

"Huh." Tony pondered out loud to the robot voice in his helmet. "My front door is wide open tonight why would someone want to go in the back door?"

The computer was silent a moment and responded soundly "a diversion, Sir"

"JARVIS how'd you get so smart?" Tony walked off the dance floor tapping a small computer pad attached to his left arm.

"You programmed me"

Tony smiled feeling very good about himself. "I am so smart! Keep an eye on things, good work Buddy"

Pepper walked over to him "what is it Tony?"

Tony flipped open the rabbit face on the suit. "JARVIS got his knickers in a bunch, someone trying to break the firewall. Nothing to worry about"

"Then why do I have the feeling I should be worried?" Pepper watched him tap the computer pad, she had been around long enough to tell something was up.

"Agent Baker?" Clint tapped the side of his ear piece, it was odd the agent had not checked in on the east side of the building in ten minutes. "Balaban?" Clint listened, more silence. _This is bad_. He caught Natasha's eye across the room he gave her a signal. Walking over to a table he reached underneath pulling out a compound bow.

Natasha nodded seeing Clint's signal. She said her apologies to the men dangling off her every word and made her way out the door. Tipping her hat she removed the two small pistols hidden inside. She ducked into a bathroom and a minute later returned wearing her Black Widow uniform.

Bruce watched Clint and Natasha walk out the ballroom into the main lobby. He made his way slowly out behind them.

Clint walked into the lobby stopping in the middle he was his namesake as he eyed the surrounding area. "Sense anything here?" he asked looking back at Bruce behind him.

Bruce walked up next to him. "Too quiet for one. Where'd everyone go?"

"Something's not right. Hill?" Natasha said into the communication device walking up to them now in her Widow uniform.

The brunette could be heard from over the communication system. "We've got a team moving in, four agents not responsive, shut the Expo down, sorry Stark. SHIELD is taking over this round" she said from her undisclosed location.

Clint walked towards the open elevator door open. He looked around, noticing all the details that were out of place. "This is bad." He looked down picking up the broken glasses he turned to his fellow avenger and held his hand out.

"There was a struggle" Natasha also noticed what the archer did, they were trained to pick up on those slight details, open doors, broken glasses, and the faint scratch mark on the wall as of someone had tried to fight back.

Bruce took the crushed glasses in his right hand staring at the cat eye glasses he had a flash of her cheery smile as she talked about them. He tucks them into his suit's inner pocket. He breathed slowly his inner monster feeling the anticipation and excitement in the air growing. "If she's gone..." He had seen the two women leave together. Jane was gone too.

Clint tapped the ear piece again looking around at their surroundings. "Elevator is sitting wide open, like someone was going up, never got there. Tony can you have JARVIS"

"Already on it." Tony responded, now in his Iron Man suit, he was in one of the small computer rooms on the main floor looking at video footage. Someone had gone to a lot of trouble to hide themselves from the cameras. "JARVIS?"

"Negative, Sir." The British A.I. informs them. "The system reading no life forms on the upper R&D floors."

The three avengers glance back and forth at each other as time is ticking away. It's the Widow that says what Clint won't. "If he took Doctor Foster he planning on something big, Bruce?"

"I'm no astrophysicist but Henry and I looked over her work, she had a formula she was working on for opening space between ours and Thor's" he looks down at the cat eye glasses in his hand, how much danger were they in? "The part she's having trouble with is opening the door." He started to unbutton his suit shirt expecting the monster to be called out at any moment.

"So let's go get them back before the psycho can get a chance to jump down the rabbit hole" Clint said whipping his compound bow out.

"The rabbit is sitting this one out, meet Mark 11" the Iron Man walks up behind the three in a new red and gold suit. "This was a kidnapping? How rude, I was expecting flashy lights and fire, a proper attack." The snarky billionaire said sobering up "how long do they have on us?"

Natasha was upset with herself for not seeing the threats earlier while she had been busy negotiating fake dates to get inside information. "East side was compromised, twenty minutes"

"So what forty then?" Tony guessed they really had an hour. Doom was clever but they'd find him. "Hill are you going to call it or do I have to go against authority?"

"Looks like you already are" Maria crossed her arms watching the agents behind her in the Helicarrier start to triangulate and pin point over the Atlantic Ocean streaming towards Canada.

Tony called out "ASSEMBLE"

* * *

"ARE YOU DR. JANE FOSTER, PHD, ASTROPHYSICS?" the voice boomed in Darcy's ear. Pain on her face as she felt tape being ripped off her mouth. She opens her eyes, bright white light streaming in around her, she felt like it was freshmen year again and had a huge hangover except it wasn't a hangover, this wasn't college, and she was staring straight at the shiny metal face of Doctor Victor Doom. Jane sat across from her in another chair, feet and hands gagged, duct tape over her mouth.

Darcy, for the first time, was actually terrified, not for herself but for Jane. When Loki attacked New York, they had been diverted to a science conference and laboratory in upstate New York. They had been safe not so lucky this time.

But they had one thing on their side; he didn't know. The masked villain held a paper up in his hand showing Jane and Darcy from the New York conference they had attended. She soon realized he didn't know which one of them was Doctor Foster. Think. Something Hawkeye had said radiated in her brain vibrated to the foreground of her mind. The Avengers had promised to keep Jane safe, all they had to do was stay alive. Darcy pulled on the chain binding her hands to her back wishing Natasha would have thought her the handcuff pin trick.

Her ears popped. They only popped going up the elevator of Stark tower or when she was on a plane. Were they in the air? She hated flying but here felt no turbulence, where ever they were it was up high. Darcy stared at him trying to be strong though she was terrified. "I am Jane Foster. My boyfriend is a hot Asgardian God that will kill you when he comes back to Earth."

He was quiet, strolling around her, his green cape seemed to flow behind him without wind. Doom stopped in front of her again. "Dr. Foster, I can prod your brain, dig out secrets"

"I know how to open the bifrost" Darcy burst out. Too much information she thought a bit too late as the blue eyes behind the mask seemed to glow absorbing the information about her.

Victor laughs, a deep, evil, maniacal laugh. He turns his attention towards Jane.

Jane started to stir opening her eyes slowly, she gasped seeing Dr. Doom. She awakened fully just in time to hear Darcy's over the top fib. He comes slowly towards her. His velvet green cape flowing as he turned towards his newest victim.

Doctor Doom rested the top of his metal hand on Jane's head. "So you are the great Doctor Jane Foster. I have been searching for you a long time now Doctor." He bends down so his metal face is almost touching hers. "I have two tons of the most powerful substance on earth waiting for me in France. You opened the portal once. How do I open it?" He rips the duct tape off her mouth.

Jane winced as the tape came painfully off her mouth. She did not know how to respond, she hadn't opened it before, and she had a formula but was not even sure it would work. "I'm Doctor Foster, but I would need time to open it" she said her lip shaking as she answered afraid.

_Shit. _What was Jane doing? If he got the information they would both be dead. Darcy wished she had her glasses so she could see clearer, she could not tell exactly how far away he was to Jane but she had to do something fast. "HEY BENDER! Ever tell people bite my shiny metal ass?" Darcy asked cutting Jane off.

Jane shot Darcy a keep-your-mouth-shut look, but it was too late, Doom had turned on Darcy, and a metal fist made contact with her face.

Darcy saw stars, and then a killer pain in her chin. Totally worth it, but damn he had a mean swing. She took Natasha's training but this was different, it really hurt.

Dr. Doom turns his gaze on Jane again. He had no time to play games with her friend. He stepping towards her, his silver gloved hand resting upon the top of her head. "The formula Doctor, there are several ways to make you talk but I hoped that we could work together peacefully"

Darcy bit her lip tasted blood. "She's just my assistant she doesn't know anything"

Doctor Doom turns to Darcy and then back to Jane. The snarky brunette was annoying him and he did not have time. He grabs the back of Jane's chair pulling her out of the room she can hear him tell some guards "I have Doctor Foster. Dispose of the other girl."

Jane screamed out "DARCY" fearing this may be the last time she sees her friend alive as she gets dragged out the room.

"JANE, DON'T TELL HIM ANYTHING" Darcy screamed back knowing she just signed her own death sentence and most likely Jane's as well. "I'M SORRY" Tears run down her eyes as she watches the door a figure fills the doorway.

* * *

A black hooded ninja stood in the doorway, gun in hand he fired off three rounds at her. The first flew past her ear ricocheting off the back of the steel wall; the second hit her at the top of her right shoulder blade; she screamed out as the third bullet hit the left side of her gut.

The hooded man took a few steps closer as the room started to tilt to the side, at first Darcy thought it was just her, but no the man held onto the side of the wall now making his way over to her. The ship or plane or spaceship, whatever they were on was moving now and at a fast pace. The chair toppled over, and now Darcy was lying on her side, she looked down blood staining her costume and back up to the man in black standing straight above her now, the gun pointed down at her. She heard loud blast noises from somewhere behind her. They were here to avenge. She just had to hold on a little longer. The click of the gun brought her back to reality, Darcy screamed out to the one person with super senses she hoped would hear her "HULK"

Something large round and metallic slid in between the bullet and Darcy's head as the gun went off. The ninja turned as the red white and blue strips of an American super soldier came into view.

"God bless America" Darcy mouthed as she watched the blue and red blob take the form of Captain America as he came into view. She watched him take out the ninja very swiftly.

Steve bent down next to Darcy. A modified Swiss army tool was used to cut her out the cuffs within a few moments. "Hang on Miss Lewis" he said scooping her up in his arms with the grace of a baby. The room shook as he started towards the door.

Darcy could feel the rumble under their feet but he held onto her. "Doom took her away"

"They won't get far, we've got the craft surrounded" Steve said as he carried Darcy out the room, she could now tell that they were in face on some sort of aircraft. He stopped abruptly where down the hall in front of them a large green form had two hooded ninja minions by their necks smashing them against the wall.

Hulk dropped the minions with a mighty roar and turned towards Steve and Darcy. His large frame filled most of the hallway and his feet cracked the steel floor of the plane as he made his way towards them.

The blurry green blob came more into focus and Darcy saw it was in fact the Doc's alter ego. He was here, and the Captain was here, which meant they all were here and she and Jane were being saved, by the Avengers. If it wasn't for the bullets and blood she would have cheered.

He had heard a scream down the hallway, and now he knew it had been hers; the same girl from the park with the Pop-tarts and the sweet smile except now she was the one in trouble. "HEARD YOU SCREAM, BUSY WITH METAL BOTS" Hulk's large rough fingers brushed against the side of Darcy's face, her hair had become disheveled, the curls falling over her face.

Darcy closes her eyes weary feeling his touch. "Hi friend, Captain America found me." She smiles opening her eyes she looks up towards Steve. "American pie caramel mocha latte" she recited his Starkbucks flavor as she started to feel faint from the loss of blood.

"Yes, now just stay with us Miss Lewis" Steve said making eye contact with the Hulk. Darcy needed medical attention and they needed to get to Doctor Doom. "Found Miss Lewis" he said taping on his mask piece near his ear.

Tony's voice could be heard in Steve's ear "great now get to the front he's on the run, but not for long"

Hulk's nostrils flare taking in the smells around him. She smells different today, a mixture of blood, sweat, and death. She was dying. An intense anger rose up in Hulk towards whomever had hurt his friend.

Darcy shifted her eyes towards Hulk "so much for me saving you." She did not know how much of what she said to Bruce he remembered but she hoped he had heard the last part of Bruce's conversation with her.

"NEXT TIME" He remembered flashes of Bruce dancing with her, hugging, and talking to her. Darcy had promised to save him, but that promise would have to work both ways.

"Deal" she says lowly as he pulls his finger away from her face. She winces in pain and looks at the monster before her. "Hulk, smash that tin can hard"

Hulk grins widely his anger growing every second. "MY PLEASURE" he says looking forward to the pain he is going to inflict. He carefully moves past Steve and Darcy down the steel hallway the metal creaking with every step.

Darcy watches as the big green blob goes down the hallway. She felt a little better knowing he was going to smash Doom to bits. Her eyes now rested on Captain America and a new blob forming into a shape as it gets closer to her.

Steve hands Darcy over to another agent slowly. "Make sure she gets the best care" he said pulling his shield forward he started to charge towards the battle. Darcy watches the red and blue blob as it gets farther and farther away.

"Easy now Lass, I got you" the agent spoke in a Scottish accent as he started to carry her in the opposite direction down the hall.

He sounded like Doctor Who and she wondered if they were going on the Tardis. "Did you just call me a dog?" Darcy said making one final quip as she closed her eyes and her body started to shake.

"Agent Hunt here, I've got Lewis." He said into the communication device as he carried her down the hall stepping over Doom's minions on the floor dead. "She's going into shock, we'll need a med pad bay 5, one minute." The doors of the large aircraft opened and Agent Hunt rested Darcy on the stretcher. He watched as they rolled Darcy into the medical bay and within minutes received the best care medical care a high tech secret agency could provide.

* * *

Captain America and Hulk made their way towards the bridge of the aircraft, along the way they encountered several hooded ninjas and three Doom bots. Every one of them made Hulk a little angrier when it turned out not to be the real one. Finally the two met up with the rest of the team, the Black Widow, Hawkeye, Iron Man and the Wasp already in a heated battle with Doctor Doom. He had used his magic to make a force field between the two keeping Jane alive but guarded while he tried to get the information out of her and fight the team off at the same time. When the barrier broke between the two sides Hulk got his chance to smash. Doom had hurt his friend and captured another and he took all the exasperation and fury and used his force and strength against the villain.

It was several hours to the point of exhaustion when the team made it back to the Helicarrier with Victor Doom captured and Jane safe free from harm.


End file.
